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Kabalega Airport Handles Libya Team As First AFCON Traffic
Hoima, Uganda | URN | Kabalega International Airport in Hoima District has handled its first known passenger traffic linked to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, as the country steps up preparations to host the continental tournament.
An Eagle Air flight carrying officials from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and members of the local organising committee and a Uganda Airlines plane, landed at the airport on Sunday .
The officials touched down at 10:30 a.m. aboard an aircraft operated by Eagle Uganda ahead of their AFCON qualifier against Uganda at Hoima City Stadium on Tuesday.
The Libyan players then followed in a Uganda Airlines flight. “We warmly welcome the Libyan National Footbal team, which landed at Kabalega International Airport at 13:04 hours aboard Uganda Airlines and was received by the Minister of Works and Transport, Hon. Fred Byamukama,” Uganda Civil Aviaition Authority said in a statement.
The Uganda Cranes are also expected to land at the airport aboard a Uganda Airlines aircraft.
The successive flights provide an early practical test for the newly constructed airport as Hoima prepares to host its first competitive international football fixture involving the Uganda Cranes.
Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama said the government had organised the flights to test the airport and demonstrate its preparedness ahead of its official commissioning.
The development comes as Uganda prepares for the 2027 AFCON, which it will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania.
Uganda has already secured an automatic place at the finals as a host nation but is participating in the qualifiers to maintain competitive readiness ahead of the tournament.
The Hoima fixture also marks a new phase in the decentralisation of national-team football, being the first competitive international match for the Uganda Cranes outside the Kampala metropolitan area, apart from CECAFA Championship matches.
The airport’s use for the AFCON preparations is significant beyond football.
Kabalega International Airport is one of the major infrastructure projects in the Albertine region, where Uganda is preparing for commercial oil production.
Construction started in April 2018, with financing arranged through Standard Chartered Bank. The airport is expected to facilitate the movement of personnel, equipment and cargo associated with the oil and gas industry.
The facility has a 3.5-kilometre runway, 45 metres wide, a cargo terminal, fire station, control tower, apron, taxiway, passenger terminal, navigation and communication systems and air-rescue firefighting facilities.
It is designed to accommodate up to four cargo aircraft simultaneously.
The contractor, a joint venture between Israeli-British firms Shikun & Binui International and Colas Limited, said in August that construction had reached 98 percent and that the airport was expected to be handed over to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority by the end of October.
The remaining major works at the time included installation of the air traffic control system.
The airport is being tested alongside Hoima City Stadium, another major facility being prepared for the AFCON tournament.
The 20,000-seater stadium in Kyarwiru Cell, Hoima East Division, was constructed by SUMMA at a reported cost of 129 million US dollars.
The facility was financed through Uganda’s Petroleum Fund and includes VVIP facilities, an indoor arena, a swimming pool, modern changing rooms and gyms, basketball and volleyball courts, media facilities, a hybrid pitch and a VAR room.
The arrival of CAF officials, the Libyan team and soon the Uganda Cranes gives the airport and stadium an early operational test ahead of the tournament.
The country now looks to the Hoima fixture as one of the early opportunities to put the new sports and aviation infrastructure to use as preparations for AFCON 2027 gather pace.
