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Wakiso, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Entebbe Airport recorded a total of 177,367 international passengers in February 2024, according to the Civil Aviation Authority-CAA.
According to Vianney Mpungu Luggya, the Manager of Public Affairs at the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority – UCAA, the number included 93,884 and 83,483 departing and arriving passengers respectively.
This implies airport handled an average of 6,116 travelers daily. The number was 39,162 more than was recorded in February 2023. However, the total of 177,367 passengers in February 2024 was less by 18,832 compared to 196,199 in the previous month of January including 1,918 Non-Aligned Movement – NAM, and Group 77 (G77) plus the China Summit guests.
Luggya told URN that February 2024 marks the third consecutive month for Entebbe Airport to register a daily average of over 6,000 passengers compared to 500 during the period preceding the global pandemic of COVID-19 peak.
In December 2023, the Airport set a new record with 198,961 international passengers, comprising 104,160 arrivals and 94,800 departures. This figure, averaging 6,418 passengers per day, represents the highest single-day record in Uganda.
CAA authorities attributed the significant increase to factors including business travel, the festive season, and tourism among others. Comparatively, 2023 saw a total of 1,932,000 passengers, surpassing the pre-COVID-19 pandemic total of 1.8 million recorded in 2019.
Since September 2023, Uganda’s aviation industry demonstrated substantial improvement, surpassing global and regional averages following a momentous safety audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Uganda received a commendable 72.17 percent in the assessment audit, highlighting the country’s commitment to aviation safety. During the same period, Entebbe International Airport also recorded a total cargo of 59,000 metric tons.
In 2019, the government, through the revived Uganda Airlines launched flights to several destinations around the with six aircraft including two long-range A330-800 and the other four being CRJ-900 jets. The initiative has greatly improved on the number of international passengers in the country.
Jenifer Bamuturaki, the CEO of Uganda Airlines says the country will receive a new Airbus, an A320 Neo by the end of April 2023 making Uganda’s fleet of commercial aircraft seven. This will not only expand the national airline’s global route networks but also make Entebbe a hub for air traffic.
According to Bamaturaki, Uganda Airlines has also received new foreign air operator permits from the International Civil Aviation Organization to operate new commercial flights to the Middle East, London, and Guangzhou among others. Currently, the national flag carrier flies to different destinations such as Johannesburg, Mumbai, Kinshasa, Lagos, Nairobi, Mogadishu, Dar es Salaam, Juba, and Bujumbura, among others.
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