Kabalega Airport commissioning now set for January 2027

Hoima, Uganda | URN | The long-awaited commissioning of Kabalega International Airport in Kabaale Sub-county, Hoima District, has been pushed to January 2027, despite the facility already handling its first passenger flights. Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama said the first phase of the airport project is now 99.9 per cent complete, with most of the major facilities already in place.

Byamukama said the contractor is expected to hand over the completed first phase to the Ministry of Works and Transport within the next two weeks. He said work on the second phase, which will include the construction of a passenger terminal with a capacity of 1,000 people, is expected to start soon.

The government has earmarked Shs232 billion for the second phase, according to Byamukama. He said the entire project is expected to be ready for commissioning by January 2027, with President Yoweri Museveni expected to preside over the ceremony.

The latest timeline comes after several earlier delays to the project, which was originally expected to be completed much earlier. Construction of Kabalega International Airport started in April 2018, with financing from Standard Chartered Bank. The airport is considered a key piece of infrastructure for the Albertine region as Uganda prepares for commercial oil production.

Its facilities include a 3.5-kilometre-long and 45-metre-wide runway, cargo terminal, fire station, control tower, apron, taxiway, air rescue and firefighting facilities, accommodation facilities, power substation, communications and navigation systems, perimeter fencing and air-ground lighting systems.

The airport also has a limited-capacity passenger terminal, which is expected to be complemented by the larger terminal planned under the second phase. In August, the joint venture contractor of Israeli-British firms Shikun & Binui International (SBI) and Colas Limited said the airport would be handed over to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority by the end of October, after reporting that construction was 98 percent complete.

At the time, the remaining major work included installation of the Air Traffic Control system. The project has, however, faced setbacks along the way. In February 2023, the contractor suspended construction after citing a funding shortfall. The suspension followed the government’s failure to release an additional Shs126 billion that the contractor said was required to complete the outstanding works.

Despite the delays, the airport has now begun showing signs of what it could mean for the region. On Sunday, Kabalega International Airport handled its first passenger flights as part of Uganda’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. An Eagle Air flight carrying officials from the Confederation of African Football and members of the local organising committee landed at the airport in the morning.

The Libyan national team later arrived at about 10:30 am aboard an Eagle Uganda-operated aircraft ahead of its Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Uganda at Hoima City Stadium. At about 12:30 pm, the Uganda Cranes national team also landed at the airport aboard a Uganda Airlines aircraft. The successive arrivals provided an early practical test of the airport’s ability to receive passenger flights as it moves closer to full operations.

The use of Kabalega Airport for the Afcon preparations has also brought renewed attention to its wider economic significance. Beyond football, the airport is expected to support the movement of people, equipment and cargo as activities linked to Uganda’s oil industry gather pace in the Albertine region.

For a project that has faced years of delays, the latest passenger flights offer a glimpse of the airport’s intended role, even as the government works towards the new January 2027 commissioning date.