Entebbe Airport registers increased cargo volumes as passenger numbers stagnate

Entebbe International Airport has continued to register an increase in cargo imports and exports amid stagnating passenger numbers.

According to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), Entebbe handled 1,771 metric tonnes of cargo imports and 3,476 metric tonnes of exports in October 2022.

This is up from 1,620 metric tonnes of imports and 3,211 metric tonnes of exports in September 2022.

However, Entebbe facilitated a total of 149,334 international passengers (65,010 passenger arrivals and 71,905 departures) in October 2022, which is an average of 4,818 passengers per day.

This is similar to the international passenger average of 4,802 per day in September. In August, the airport handled an average of 5,034 passengers per day. In July, they handled an average of 4,892 per day, 4,508 in June, 4,018 in May and 3,670 per day in April.

Vianney  Luggya, the UCAA Spokesperson, said the figures are expected to peak again with heightened tourists movements during the winter, especially from November to February.

In relation to cargo, 64,254 metric tonnes (40,961 exports & 23,293 imports) were handled in the FY 2021/22 in comparison to 62,121 metric tones in the FY 2018/19. In 2021, the world’s airports accommodated 4.6 billion passengers, representing an increase of 28.3% from 2020 or a drop of 49.5% from 2019 results.

Uganda Revenue Authority in June unveiled the Air Cargo Control Unit at Entebbe International Airport to do joint profiling of cargo and passengers to curb illicit trade.

Recently, Uganda Airlines Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Bamuturaki said the national carrier would invest more cargo handling services amid rising demand.