Entebbe International Airport experienced a significant rise in passenger traffic at the start of 2025, handling a total of 216,740 travelers in January.
This marks a notable increase from 194,563 international passengers recorded during the same period in 2024.
According to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) spokesperson, Vianney Luggya, several factors contributed to this surge, including increased tourism, expanded airline operations, and Uganda’s role as a host for international conferences.
A key event, the African Union Extraordinary Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) held in Kampala, drew 977 delegates, boosting air travel.
The data for January 2025 shows that 105,320 passengers arrived at Entebbe, while 111,420 departed, averaging 6,991 passengers per day.
This makes it the second busiest month in Entebbe’s history, following December 2024, when the airport recorded its highest-ever monthly traffic at 222,317 passengers. Other recent high-traffic months include August 2024 (204,575 passengers) and December 2023 (198,961 passengers).
Uganda Airlines’ expansion into new routes, along with the entry of new carriers such as Kush Air and Premier Airlines both of which launched flights to Juba in December 2024 also played a role in driving up passenger numbers.
Beyond passenger traffic, cargo handling at Entebbe also saw an uptick. In January 2025, the airport managed 5,069 metric tonnes of cargo, consisting of 3,491 metric tonnes of exports and 1,578 metric tonnes of imports.
This continues an upward trend, as Entebbe processed a total of 67,731 metric tonnes of cargo in 2024, reflecting growth from 59,073 metric tonnes in 2023.
Overall, Entebbe International Airport served 2,243,104 international passengers in 2024, a 16% rise from 1,932,094 in 2023, underscoring its growing role as a regional aviation hub.
