Friday, July 18, 2025
The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has announced a marked increase in Entebbe International Airport Traffic, the country’s main national airport. It’s as crowded at the airport as it ever gets.
If you look at UCAA numbers, there were 213,217 international passengers altogether at the airport for the month of June. The total consists of 106,583 arrivals and 106,634 departures, or some 7,107 travelers flowing in and out on an ordinary day. Only 7,171 daily passengers in December 2024 was more than that average in airport history, says EIA.
But June is a large spike from May, when just 198,052 international passengers traveled. This rush is the result of some temporal and tactical reasons.
Decisive Elements in the Tidal Wave of Travelers
Return of Hajj Pilgrims
Much of the run on we observed in June was a result of the return of the Ugandan Muslim pilgrims who traveled to Mecca for the annual Hajj. It is a seasonal migration that typically involves an influx for just a few days of air travel to and from the Middle East.
Growth in Uganda’s Tourism Sector
Uganda’s government marketing as the home of eco-tourism and adventure travel was showing dividends in the form of a broader reputation. That is why natural attractions including Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Source of the Nile have continued to lure the local and foreign tourists, hence the growth in inbound figures.
Expansion of Uganda Airlines Routes
National carrier Uganda Airlines, the national carrier, has extended its international route network with new direct flights from Lagos to Mumbai (India), Lagos and Abuja to London Gatwick (UK). Not only added the services to the demand for the Ugandan sky but turned Entebbe into an even greater transit and outbound passenger hub.
Hosting of International Events
“Uganda has hosted several big regional and continental gatherings recently like CHAN 2025 Common preparatory meetings, AFCON 2027 planning meetings and African Judges Forum. These arrivals and departures brought dozens of international visitors and foreign investors, further lifting air traffic again.
Increased Business and Trade Travel
Positioned in the heart of East and Central Africa, and also the first port of call for business and trade travel, Entebbe International Airport remains a vital Hub. Enhanced services and trading within the business sector has also prompted demand across the need for additional occassion options trading so increased frequency and better performance of LMD (light medium duty) vehicles allows women to actually use their vehicles to give notice, load and transort produce to market.
Significant Increase of Freight Traffic as well
That the rapid rise in passenger traffic was accompanied by a second month of durable freight growth in June 2025. Services The following services were operated on behalf of:
- 4,332 metric tonnes of exports
- 1,961 metric tonnes of imports
Export Growth Driven by Agricultural Demand
Uganda’s exports were helped by global demand for its farm produce, fresh fruits, fish, fish maws, and moderately surprisingly gold. Effective export setup The airport cheap and effective logistics and handling infrastructure has been instrumental in enhancing effective export of these commodities.
Improved Import Logistics
On the import side, higher cargo capacity on Uganda Airlines and its partners has made operations more efficient and brought down the cost of importing cargo. Local enterprises there have since enjoyed corresponding advantages as transit times fell and imported goods and machines rotated on to stock faster.
Strategic Investments Paying Off
This sustained rise in passenger and cargo and continues to be reflected in Government long term investment in Uganda’s aviation infrastructure and policy over the years. These include runway developments, changes to airport terminals and airlines agreements, and are the driving force behind the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority.
They emphasise that such improvements are already bearing fruit, with Uganda serving as a regional aviation hub and air traffic free-flowing for leisure, commercial and diplomatic purposes.
With several worldwide events planned in Uganda, and the continuation of the burgeoning network in the air, analysts and [UAW] affiliates anticipate the trend to be upheld throughout the latter months of 2025.
Looking Ahead
The high volume of passengers and cargo at Entebbe International Airport during June 2025 is an indication of growth of economic activities in Uganda and also a destination for touristic attraction and being part of the global village. As airline networks continue to expand and more infrastructure is to be developed, EIA will be the airport to drive this market expansion and become the prominent gateway to East Africa and beyond.
