Entebbe airport reports increase in passenger numbers

The departure lounge at Entebbe Airport.

Entebbe International Airport handled total of 164,705 international passengers, an average of 5,313 passengers per day in April, 2024.

Of these, 82,247 were arrivals and 82,458 departing passengers.

According to data from the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, this was 38,515 more than was handled in April 2023, which recorded 126,190 international passengers.

In relation to cargo, Entebbe International Airport recorded 1,768 metric tonnes of imports and 3,953 metric tonnes of exports, making a total of 5,721 metric tonnes in April 2024.

This comes as the airport undergoes structural adjustment to accommodate more passengers and cargo.

The ongoing works for a new 20,000 square metre passenger terminal building at Entebbe International Airport were at 60% complete by end of April 2024.

Speaking to journalists during a guide tour of the ongoing expansion project at the airport, UCAA Director General, Fred Bamwesigye said having completed the new passenger terminal building, they are now working on another terminal building.

“The overall works at the new 20,000 square metre terminal building currently stand at 60% but overall, expansion works at the airport are at 90% in the first phase,” Bamwesigye said.

Entebbe Airport set a new record in December 2023 with 198,961 international passengers, comprising 104,160 arrivals and 94,800 departures. This figure, averaging 6,418 passengers per day, represented the highest single-day record in Uganda, according to Vianney Mpungu Luggya, the Spokesperson of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA).

The significant increase was attributed to factors such as business travel, the festive season, and tourism. Comparatively, 2023 saw a total of 1,932,000 passengers, surpassing the pre-COVID-19 pandemic total of 1.8 million recorded in 2019