Entebbe Airport Hits Historic Highs: Passenger Traffic Skyrockets as Uganda Becomes East Africa’s Aviation Powerhouse

By Aggrey Baba

Entebbe International Airport has recorded a significant rise in passenger and cargo traffic, reinforcing its position as a key aviation hub in East Africa.

In January 2025, the airport handled a total of 216,740 international passengers, with 105,320 arrivals and 111,420 departures, averaging 6,991 travelers per day. This reflects a notable increase from January 2024, which recorded 194,563 passengers.

The growth is attributed to factors such as increased tourism, Uganda’s hosting of international conferences, like the African Union Extraordinary CAADP, which attracted 977 delegates, the expansion of Uganda Airlines’ network, and the entry of new operators, Kush Air and Premier Airlines, with flights to Juba since December 2024.

January 2025 now ranks as the second-busiest month in Entebbe’s history, surpassed only by December 2024, which recorded 222,317 passengers.

Other peak months include August 2024 (204,575 passengers) and December 2023 (198,961 passengers). For the entire year 2024, the airport registered 2,243,104 international passengers, a significant increase from 1,932,094 in 2023.

Cargo traffic also showed strong performance, with 5,069 metric tonnes handled in January 2025, 3,491 metric tonnes of exports and 1,578 metric tonnes of imports. In 2024, total cargo volume reached 67,731 metric tonnes, up from 59,073 metric tonnes in 2023.

With continuous growth in passenger numbers and cargo movement, Entebbe International Airport remains a critical gateway for Uganda’s trade and tourism, contributing to the country’s economic development. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).