Entebbe International Airport recorded a modest recovery in international passenger traffic in August 2026, handling 169,706 passengers, according to figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The airport registered 88,270 arrivals and 81,436 departures during the month, equivalent to an average of about 5,474 international passengers a day.
The August figures represent an increase of 13,364 passengers, or about 8.5%, from July, when Entebbe handled 156,342 international passengers.
However, the month-on-month improvement masks a much sharper annual decline.
In August 2025, Entebbe handled 239,329 international passengers. The latest figure therefore represents a decline of 69,623 passengers, or approximately 29.1%, compared with the same month last year.
CAA attributed the weaker annual performance partly to recent travel restrictions, which affected passenger movements during what would normally be a peak travel period.
July and August are traditionally among the busier months for international travel, making the year-on-year decline particularly significant for Uganda’s aviation and tourism sectors.
Cargo traffic also eases
Cargo volumes recorded a smaller decline compared with passenger traffic.
Entebbe handled 4,693 metric tonnes of cargo in August, comprising 2,927 tonnes of exports and 1,766 tonnes of imports.
That was down from 4,799 metric tonnes recorded in July, representing a decline of 106 tonnes, or about 2.2%.
Exports accounted for roughly 62% of the cargo handled during August, highlighting the continued importance of Entebbe as an outlet for Uganda’s internationally traded goods.
The passenger figures suggest that while international travel through Uganda’s main gateway picked up between July and August, traffic had yet to return to the levels seen a year earlier.
For the aviation, tourism and hospitality industries, the recovery of passenger flows will remain closely tied to the easing of travel restrictions and the restoration of normal seasonal demand.
