In December 2023, Entebbe Airport set a new record with 198,961 international passengers, comprising 104,160 arrivals and 94,800 departures. According to Vianney Mpungu Luggya, the Spokesperson of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), this figure, averaging 6,418 passengers per day, represents the highest single-day record in Uganda
Factors that have increased the significant increase.
- Business travel.
- The festive season.
- Tourism.
Surpassing the pre-COVID-19 pandemic total of 1.8 million recorded in 2019, Comparatively, 2023 saw a total of 1,932,000 passengers which was a great increase.
Due to the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Group 77 (G77) plus the China Summit, which is expected to attract a large number of international delegates, Luggya anticipates similarly high figures for January 2024.
During the event from January 15 to 23, 2024, Uganda aims to host between 1,000 and 1,500 delegates. The NAM summit, officially commencing at the Commonwealth Speke Resort Munyonyo, hosts delegates from 120 countries across Africa, Europe, America, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Pacific, alongside 18 observer states and 10 observer organizations.
Uganda’s aviation industry demonstrated substantial improvement, surpassing global and regional averages following a significant safety audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in September 2023. Uganda received a commendable 72.17 percent in the assessment audit, highlighting the country’s commitment to aviation safety.
During the same period, Entebbe International Airport also recorded a total cargo of 59,000 metric tons. In 2023, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that African airlines moved 960 thousand tons of freight, representing 96.7 percent of the 2019 figures.
In 2022, IATA’s report, global airlines carried 3.4 billion passengers compared to 2.2 billion in 2021. African airlines carried 67 million passengers in 2022, reflecting a 55.8 percent growth but accounting for only 2 percent of global traffic.
