The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Entebbe International Airport continued its post-COVID recovery, with the facility seeing a 6% increase in international passengers (1,133,366) handled during the first half of 2025 compared to 1,069,224 passengers in the same period of January to June 2024.
There was a near-similar jump in cargo traffic numbers, according to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA). This category saw an upward trend, with 22,844 metric tonnes of exports and 10,778 metric tonnes of imports, making a total of 33,622 metric tonnes handled between January and June 2025. This compares to 22,380 tonnes of exports and 10,414 tonnes of imports in the same period of 2024, totaling 32,794 tonnes.
The data reflects a 2.1% increase in exports and a 3.5% increase in imports. Uganda’s major exports include fish, flowers, vegetables, and fresh produce, among others.
Passengers
During the first half of 2025, Entebbe International Airport recorded 550,439 international arrivals and 582,927 international departures, totaling 1,133,366 international passengers. This marks an increase from 527,692 arrivals and 541,532 departures, totaling 1,069,224 passengers in the same period of January to June 2024. The figures reflect a 4.3% growth in arrivals and a 7.6% growth in departures year-on-year.
Aircraft movements increased from 15,223 in the first half of 2024 to 15,922 in the same period of 2025, representing a 4.6% growth.
On the other hand, overflights declined from 12,359 in January to June 2024 to 11,917 in the same period of 2025, reflecting a 3.6% decrease. The reduction in overflights is partly attributed to the partial reopening of Sudanese airspace, which had previously been closed. This has allowed airlines operating between the Middle East, Southern Africa, and Latin America to resume using ICAO-designated contingency routes.
