Entebbe International Airport handled 153,968 international passengers in September 2026, while cargo traffic grew by 27.83%, according to figures released by the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA).
The airport recorded an average of 5,132 international passenger arrivals and departures daily during the month, reflecting continued activity at Uganda’s main international gateway.
According to the UCAA traffic update, 79,386 passengers arrived at the airport, while 74,582 departed, bringing the total to 153,968.
Cargo traffic also registered growth, with the airport handling 5,999 metric tonnes during the month, up 27.83% from August.
Exports accounted for 3,746 tonnes, while imports totalled 2,253 tonnes, meaning export cargo made up the larger share of the volume handled.
Vianney Mpungu Luggya, the UCAA Manager of Public Affairs and Official Spokesperson, said the authority was pursuing several initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions from aviation while improving the efficiency of air navigation services.
He said Uganda was participating in the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), an initiative that provides a framework for monitoring, reporting and verifying carbon emissions from international aviation.
“Last year, UCAA enrolled Uganda Airlines in the CORSIA initiative under the monitoring, reporting and verification framework. In July this year, we submitted the first report on Uganda Airlines’ carbon emissions,” Luggya said.
He added that Uganda had also submitted a State Action Plan to ICAO outlining measures being undertaken to mitigate carbon emissions from aviation.
The authority is also exploring air navigation improvements, including free routing, which allows aircraft to fly more direct routes between destinations, subject to the necessary regulatory and regional arrangements.
Luggya said shorter flight distances could reduce fuel consumption and, consequently, the amount of carbon emissions produced by aircraft.
“We are also involved in performance-based navigation, which promotes the use of global navigation satellite systems,” he said, adding that the technology supports more efficient aircraft navigation and use of airspace.
On airline operations, Luggya said Uganda Airlines had suspended its flights to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where it had been the only Ugandan airline operating services.
The September figures place cargo growth alongside the airport’s international passenger traffic, with exports accounting for about 62% of the total cargo handled during the month.