Entebbe's new terminal building on course for July completion — UCAA

When the new terminal building at Uganda's Entebbe International Airport is completed this July, the terminal capacity will be enhanced from the previous maximum capacity of two million passengers a year to at least 3.5 million passengers.

This is according to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA).

The airport's modified terminal building was completed and opened to the public in January this year, just in time to especially facilitate delegates flying in for the back-to-back 19th NAM and G77+China summits.

"The major remaining project is the completion of a new 20,000-square-metre terminal building which connects to the existing terminal building," said UCAA deputy director general Olive Lumonya.

From left, Eng Ayub Sooma the director for airports and aviation security, Fred Bamwesigye the UCAA director general and his deputy Olive Lumonya during a media briefing at the Airport VIP lounge on Friday.

During an engagement with the press at Entebbe on Friday, she said the overall project works are at 90% level of completion.

The expansion of aircraft parking Apron 1 is on the list of the pending works.

Lumonya said earlier completed works under the same project include resurfacing of runways 17/35 and 12/30 plus their associated taxiways as well as construction of a new 100,000-tonne-capacity terminal building.

Increased passenger traffic

Eng. Ayub Sooma, the manager in charge of airports and aviation security, said the ongoing upgrade and expansion of Entebbe airport is being undertaken with both internal funding and a $200 million (sh760.4 billion) loan from the Republic of China to address the growing traffic.

Vianney Luggya, the UCAA public relations manager, said that in March this year, the airport handled 80,719 arriving and 91,271 departing passengers — totalling to 171,990 passengers. 

Modified terminal building at Entebbe airport.

This came on the heels of increased traffic, averaging 6,000 passengers per month, in the previous three months.

"The year 2023 recorded a total of 1.93 million passengers in comparison to the pre-COVID pandemic figure of 1.8 million passengers in 2019. Therefore, the new facilities and ongoing projects are meant to address the growing traffic," said Luggya.

'Let's be patriotic'

Meanwhile, UCAA director general Fred Bamwesigye used Friday's interaction with the press to urge all Ugandans to be patient "as we complete these works".

"The UCAA is working tirelessly to give all our travellers a seamless experience when leaving and entering the country".

Bamwesigye also urged fellow citizens to exercise patriotism and not pride in massively sharing images which may negatively impact Uganda's tourism. 

He sounded this call in the context of the recent rains that saw part of Entebbe airport's parking area flooded for around minutes. 

Entebbe experienced unusually heavy rainfall on April 6, which overwhelmed the airport's drainage system, causing backflow in some parts of the car parking area. 

A statement by the Uganda National Meteorological Authority issued then indicated that Entebbe area received 106.8mm of rainfall, the highest maximum rainfall recorded in a single day, followed by Iganga with 77.3mm, which had been recorded on March 5.

According to Bamwesigye, it was unsurprising to witness water spillovers at the airport due to such heavy rains. 

"It is also important to note that some of the existing structures at Entebbe airport were first put up in the 70s, and more buildings have been added as part of the infrastructure upgrade."

As part of a lasting solution, Bamwesigye intimated that the ongoing construction of the new terminal building has a component for interconnection of the drainage system to accommodate the new developments.

Flooding at airports is not new, even at some of the busiest in the world.

Recent record rainfall in the Gulf states has, for instance, caused flooding and affected Dubai's two major international airports, causing flight delays, diversions and cancellations.

Dubai International Airport, the second busiest in the world, is struggling to resume flights after heavy rains left runways under water, according to international media.