Kampala. Uganda is making progress on important airport projects that will change how people travel around the country especially to important places for tourism and business in the north and west.
According to news from the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority and government leaders Kabalega International Airport in the Albertine region is about 98 percent done with its first part. Leaders think this part will be finished soon which is a step for this long-expected airport close to the oil areas of Hoima and nearby places.
At the time Kidepo International Airport in Karenga District was officially started earlier this year. The project cost than 72 million US dollars and had help from groups like the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It has a 3.6-kilometre runway that can handle big planes as well as places for passengers and goods. When it is fully working it will make it easier for people to visit one of Uganda’s remote but amazing places. Kidepo Valley National Park. Both from within Uganda and from other countries.
These changes are happening at a time for Uganda’s travel and tourism business. Better air access is seen as important for bringing more visitors to national parks helping business travel connected to oil and big projects and making Entebbe International Airport stronger as a place for regional flights.
Kabalega Airport is part of a plan for the Kabaale Industrial Park and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project. When it is done it will make the drive from Entebbe or Kampala to the Albertine region much shorter. This will make it easier for people working in the oil industry investors and tourists who want to see places to travel more quickly. Officials have also said that the next part of the work including the passenger building is being done quickly with plans to get ready for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations which Uganda will help host.
In the northeast Kidepo International Airport solves a problem with getting there. Kidepo Valley National Park is called one of Africa’s beautiful and least busy places for safaris but its faraway location has made it hard for many visitors to go there. The new airport is expected to make travel faster and encourage more tours, private flights and connections within the region. Along with road improvements like the Kitgum–Kidepo road the project is going to help tourism money grow create jobs in hotels and transport and help people living in the Karamoja area.
People who work in the travel business are happy with the progress. Better airports will help Uganda Airlines expand its routes and the government’s plan to promote tourism in the country like the Open Park Days. Easier access should also help Uganda compete better with countries that already have better air links.
Some problems are still there. Both airports will need to finish their work on time put in navigation and safety tools train the people who work there and get flights. Keeping the environment safe as more people come to visit is also important because that is what makes these places special.
So the work at Kabalega and Kidepo shows the government is serious about making airports a top goal. For people who like to travel the message is positive: Uganda is spending on the things that will make its many places and experiences easier to reach.
As these airports get closer to being fully open the travel business in the country should benefit from trips, new flight options and more confidence, from both local and foreign visitors. The next few months will be watched closely as Uganda tries to grow in tourism and being connected to other places.