The number of passengers going through Entebbe International Airport increased by 34 percent in the month of August as a result of lifting Covid-19 restrictions in Uganda, latest data shows.
According to data released by Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), in August, 81,986 passengers went through Entebbe compared to 61,328 in July.
Vianney Luggya, the UCAA spokesman, says that of the 81,968 passengers, 37,415 people were departures, 10,608 were in transit and the remaining 33,941 were arrivals.
UCAA attributes the rise to increasing number of migrant workers traveling to the Middle East following the easing of travel restrictions by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Last month, Uganda lifted the ban on flights from India while UAE lifted the ban on flights from Uganda in mid-August for resident permit holders.
Since Entebbe Airport resumed commercial flight operations last October, passenger numbers have been increasing.
For instance, UCAA figures show that passenger numbers grew from 42,633 in October 2020 to over 50,000 in the first four months of 2021.
In October, 23,867 of the passengers were arrivals, 15,461 were departing and 3,305 were in transit.
However, the passenger numbers spiked from 53,494 in January, 54,988 in February, 76,233 in March, and 85,054 in April.
The April figures excited the sector players. However, the excitement dropped in May until July because Uganda detected the Delta variant and instituted extra measures such as banning flights from India and re-testing travelers from nine other countries including Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and South Sudan.
Uganda also instituted a nationwide lockdown in June. However, the airport remained open. But passenger numbers dropped because UAE, UK, and Canada banned flights from Uganda in June while airlines such as Rwanda Air suspended flights due to the surging number of COVID-19 cases in Uganda.
The passenger numbers as a result of the measures dropped in May from 77,063 travelers to 75,472 passengers in June. The airport however recorded the lowest number of travelers in July, with 61,328 passengers.
The daily average of passengers thereby reduced to 1,978 compared to 5,412 passengers before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Uganda.
Though Uganda is still on the UK red list, with the easing of travel restrictions elsewhere, the passenger numbers have increased over the last four weeks.
Richard Mujjuzi, a travel agent and former chairman of Ugandan Association of Travel Agents-TUGATA, says that most people are traveling for work, business, and medical care.