When it comes to air travel, having a seamless experience at the airport can make a difference in your trip. In Africa, some airports stand out for their exceptional facilities, services, and overall passenger experience.

10 best airports in Africa in 2024

• Business Insider Africa presents 10 best airports in Africa in 2024
• The list is courtesy of Skytrax
• Durban King Shaka airport of South Africa tops the list of the best airports in Africa.

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When it comes to air travel, having a seamless experience at the airport can make a difference in your trip. In Africa, some airports stand out for their exceptional facilities, services, and overall passenger experience.

Skytrax, an internationally recognized organization that assesses airlines worldwide, recently unveiled its report on the best airports globally.

DON’T MISS THIS: 10 best international airports in Africa in 2023

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According to the report, in the regional space, Durban’s King Shaka Airport in South Africa ranks as the top airport in Africa.

For the awards process, a regional airport is one that predominantly serves domestic or regional international flights. It may also serve a small number of intercontinental routes, but the primary focus is on the short-haul and regional markets.

Below are 10 best international airports in Africa in 2024:

1.Durban King Shaka Airport (South Africa)

Durban King Shaka

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King Shaka International Airport stands as a beacon of excellence among Africa’s best international airports. With a total floor area of 102,000 m2 (1,100,000 sq ft), the terminal is capable of handling 7.5 million passengers per year.

2.Marrakech Airport (Morocco)

Marrakech

Marrakech International Airport, located in Morocco, serves as a gateway to one of the country’s most vibrant and culturally rich cities. The air terminals (1 and 2) are 22,000 m2 (236,806 sq ft) and designed to handle 2,500,000 passengers per year.

3.Kigali Airport(Rwanda)

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Kigali

Kigali International Airport, formerly known as Gregoire Kayibanda International Airport boasts modern facilities and infrastructure, including a single terminal equipped to handle various aircraft sizes.

It is also of regional importance as it serves Congolese, Burundian and Ugandan cities. Its terminal building handles a capacity of 1.5 million passengers per year.

4.Port Elizabeth Airport (South Africa)

Port Elizabeth

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The Port Elizabeth airport was once called the H. F. Verwoerd Airport. It offers flights to and from Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Durban, Cape Town and East London. The airport currently handles more than 1,2 million passengers per year, over 60 000 scheduled flights and over 800 tons of cargo.

5.Bloemfontein Airport (South Africa)

Bloemfontein

Formerly known as Bloemfontein Airport, it was renamed Bram Fischer International Airport in 2012 by President Jacob Zuma. The airport offers a world-class airport operation that caters for more than 300 000 passengers and 17 000 air traffic movements per annum.

6.East London Airport (South Africa)

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East London Airport

East London Airport (ELS) is a small, but busy airport serving the city of East London, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The airport handles between 20 and 30 flights daily, which bring 946,000 people to East London each year.

7.Entebbe Airport (Uganda)

.Entebbe Airport

The British Colonial authorities opened the airport due to its strategic location on Lake Victoria. Entebbe International Airport sits directly on the equator at latitude 00.020 North and longitude 320 East, earning it the nickname “Airport on the Equator.”

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8.Antananarivo Airport (Madagascar)

Antananarivo Airport

Antananarivo Ivato International Airport has two main terminals: one terminal for domestic flights and one terminal for international flights. In December 2021, a new terminal opened. Antananarivo airport handled over 1 million passengers in 2019, first time in 20 years.

9.Rabat Airport (Morocco)

Rabat Airport

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Rabat Airport, situated in Salé, Morocco, serves both as a civilian and military airport, catering to the needs of Rabat, the capital city, as well as the wider region.

10.Luanda Airport (Angola)

Luanda Airport

Luanda International Airport, (IATA Airport Code: LAD) is the current international airport serving Angola’s capital city Luanda and the rest of Angola.

Adopted from: The Business Insider April 18, 2024

What you need to know:

• Overall, the project works are at 90 percent level of completion. The other pending work is expansion of Apron 1, which is at 95 percent  level of completion

The project for upgrade and expansion of Entebbe International Airport stands at 90 percent level of completion, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority’s (UCAA) Director General, Mr Fred Bamwesigye has said.

“The major remaining project is the 20,000 square meters terminal building, currently under construction to connect to the existing terminal building and is at 60 percent level of completion. Overall, the project works are at 90 percent level of completion. The other pending work is expansion of Apron 1, which is at 95 percent  level of completion,” Mr Bamwesigye said while addressing a press conference at Entebbe International Airport on Friday, April 19.

He said other earlier completed works under the $200 million project being implemented by China Communications Construction Company, CCCC include; resurfacing of runways 17/35 and 12/30 plus their associated taxiways, construction of a 100,000 tonnes capacity Cargo Centre and resurfacing of Aprons 2 and 4.

RELATED

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He added that on completion of the new terminal building, whose works in 2024, the terminal capacity will be enhanced from the previous maximum capacity of two million passengers a year to at least 3.5 million passengers and this will address the growing traffic.

“In March, 2024, Entebbe International Airport handled 80,719 arriving and 91,271 departing passengers, a total of 171,990 international passengers, an average of 5,548 passengers per day. This comes on the heels of increased traffic, averaging over 6,000 passengers per month in the previous three months. 6,418 passengers per day were handled in December 2023, 6,329 per day in January 2024 and 6,116 passengers per day  in February 2024. 2023 recorded a total of 1.93 million passengers in comparison to the pre-COVID 19 pandemic figure of 1.8 million passengers in 2019. The new facilities and on-going projects are meant to address the growing traffic,” Mr Bamwesigye said.

Referring to the recent heavy downpour in Entebbe which caused flooding of some part of the airport’s car parking on April 6, 2024 due to backflow, Mr Bamwesigye said the viral videos, unfortunately created the wrong impression that the situation lasted for a big part of the day, yet the water drained within 30-45 minutes.

“On that particular day, the Uganda National Meteorological Authority issued a report indicating that Entebbe received rain up to 106.8 mm, the highest maximum fall recorded in a single day. Nevertheless, 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. The on-going construction of the new terminal building has a component for interconnection of the drainage system to accommodate the new developments, and all these pending works are scheduled for completion this year. The public is urged to bear with the temporary inconvenience as mitigation measures and all the projects are being finalized for a better passenger experience,” he said.

Mr Bamwesigye also urged Ugandans to be more patriotic and not pride in sharing images of that nature, which negatively impacts tourism.

The UCAA Director Airports and Aviation Security, Eng Ayub Sooma  said the second phase of the expansion works, which is yet to start will include widening of the runway “from the current code 4E to code 4F so that it can comfortably  accommodate the biggest commercial aircraft in the world, the Airbus A380.”

Adopted from: The Daily Monitor April 20, 2024

The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority has revealed that ongoing works for a new 20,000 square metre passenger terminal building at Entebbe International Airport are 60% complete.

Speaking to journalists during a guide tour of the ongoing expansion project at the airport, UCAA Director General, Fred Bamwesigye said having completed the new passenger terminal building, they are now working on another terminal building.

“The overall works at the new 20,000 square metre terminal building currently stand at 60% but overall, expansion works at the airport are at 90% in the first phase,” Bamwesigye said on Friday.

According to Eng. Ayub Soma,  Director Navigation and Airport Security at UCAA, the ongoing construction works for the new terminal building will see the facility connected to the old 30,000 square metre terminal building.

“By connecting the new terminal building to the old one, we will have increased the capacity and now we will have a 60% increase.,” Eng Soma said.

The construction

Chinese company, China Communications Construction Company was contracted to handle the expansion project of the airport at a cost of $200 million.

The expansion works include reconstruction of the main runaway and its associated taxiways, the rehabilitation of runway 1230 and its associated taxiways, rehabilitation of aprons, construction of cargo complex, construction of a new terminal building, increase water supply and storage capacity.

Speaking on Friday, UCAA Director General, Fred Bamwesigye said so far most of these works are either complete or are about to be completed.

UCAA officials address journalists on Friday.

Eng. Ayub Soma said part of their efforts is to enhance the runways to the biggest in the world.

“We want to enhance the runways to be able to accommodate bigger aircraft like A380 which have larger wings and it means if we do that our runways can move to the highest type of runway that exists on earth. By doing this, we are calling in more airlines to come to Entebbe Airport,” Eng.Soma said.

The UCAA Director General however warned that there will always be inconveniences caused by the ongoing expansion works but asked the public to bear with the situation for a small time.

He also commented about the recent flooding at the airport that he said was temporary but said ongoing drainage works will help address this issue.

“This place you see is a home of water since this was a lake and was reclaimed to construct the airport. The water will always try to take to reclaim its original habitat. Those criticizing us should take into consideration these facts. It is important we don’t exaggerate but state the exact facts,” Bamwesigye said.

“We will continue expanding the airport as we did from 2 million passengers to now 3.5 million passengers per year. In future, we want to be able to accommodate 6 million passengers.  We shall continue to expand these facilities because each month that passes, the number of people using the airport as passengers and other users increases.”

Adopted from: The Nile Post Friday April 29, 2024

In Summary

Entebbe international Airport posted a 31pc surge in passenger traffic during January relative to the comparable.

Entebbe international Airport posted a 31pc surge in passenger traffic during January relative to the comparable period for January 2023. A total of 196,211 international passengers passed through the facility during the month, indicating sustained lift that mirrored the historical peak of198,981 passengers that used the airport in December 2023.

January’s numbers represented a daily average of 6329 – marginally lower than December 2023s 6,418- but 31.48pc ahead of the daily average for January 2023.

Vianney Luggya Mpungu, the manager for public affairs at the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, attributed January’s robust performance to the twin Non-Aligned Movement NAM and G-77 plus China summits that Uganda hosted during the month. The two events added 1918 visitors.

“The rise in January 2024 passenger traffic is partly attributed to Uganda’s hosting of the NAM and G77 Summits in January 2024,” Luggya said in remarks to the press.

Arrivals outpaced departures with 99,216 inbound and 96995 outbound during the reference period.

Cargo performance remained virtually unchanged from a year ago with 5,183 tons registered during January 2024 against 5014 tons in January 2023. Exports dominated with 364 tons against imports of 1579 tons.

Overall, January’s performance represents a continuation of the trend from 2023 which closed with 1,932,000 international passengers. That marked Entebbe Internationals full recovery from the disruptions caused by Covid-19 shutdowns that intensified between March 2020 and December 2021.

Entebbe is currently connected to 32 airports in 19 countries. As of this week, 315 departures are scheduled. At 61 flights, Entebbe-Nairobi remains the busiest route accounting for 19.3pc of all departures over the seven days to February 25.

Adopted from: 256 Business News February 20, 2024

Entebbe International Airport saw a record-breaking start to 2024 with 196,211 passengers, hosting major global summits, and handling 5,183 metric tonnes of cargo. The airport’s growth reflects Uganda’s increasing prominence on the international stage.

Israel Ojoko 18 Feb 2024 04:46 EST Updated On 18 Feb 2024 05:05 EST Follow Us

In the serene heart of Uganda, Entebbe International Airport, a gateway to the Pearl of Africa, recorded a bustling start to 2024. January saw an influx of 196,211 international passengers, marking the second-highest traffic in a single month for the airport.

This surge included 99,216 arriving guests and 96,995 departing, averaging an impressive 6,329 passengers daily. This remarkable period in the airport’s history was not just a testament to its capacity but also to Uganda’s growing prominence on the international stage, underscored by its role in hosting pivotal global summits.

Uganda: At the Crossroads of Diplomacy and Tourism

The significant uptick in passenger traffic can be attributed to Uganda’s hosting of several high-profile international summits, including the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), IGAD, and G77+ China meetings. These events turned the spotlight on Uganda, drawing 1,918 delegates from across the globe.

The convergence of diplomats, policymakers, and international dignitaries not only showcased Uganda’s diplomatic prowess but also its burgeoning tourism and hospitality sectors. Entebbe, with its natural beauty and strategic location, proved to be more than just a host; it became a vibrant meeting point for cultures, ideas, and global partnerships.ADVERTISEMENT

The Economic Pulse: Cargo Through the Clouds

Beyond the foot traffic, January 2024 was also a noteworthy period for cargo movement through Entebbe International Airport. A total of 5,183 metric tonnes of cargo was handled, comprising 1,579 metric tonnes of imports and a significant 3,604 metric tonnes of exports.

This cargo movement is a strong indicator of Uganda’s economic activities, reflecting both the country’s demand for international goods and its growing role as a global exporter. The bustling cargo terminals, alongside passenger corridors, underscored the airport’s critical role in facilitating not just people but also the flow of goods and services across borders.

A Beacon of Growth and Potential

Entebbe International Airport’s record-setting performance in January is more than just a statistic. It is a narrative of growth, resilience, and potential. As the world opens up post-pandemic, airports like Entebbe are pivotal in connecting nations, fostering economic opportunities, and promoting cultural exchanges.

The successful handling of international summits and the efficient management of both passenger and cargo traffic are testaments to Uganda’s commitment to becoming a central hub in Africa’s aviation landscape. With strategic investments and a focus on enhancing its facilities, Entebbe is poised to soar even higher in the coming years.

As the dust settles on a bustling January, Entebbe International Airport looks ahead to the future. The record numbers in passenger and cargo traffic are not just milestones to be celebrated but stepping stones to greater achievements.

Uganda’s strategic positioning, both geographically and diplomatically, coupled with the relentless spirit of its people, sets the stage for a future where Entebbe is not just a point of transit but a destination in its own right. The story of Entebbe International Airport in January 2024 is a chapter in Uganda’s ongoing narrative of progress and aspiration, a narrative that promises even more thrilling sequels in the years to come.

Adopted from: BNN Sunday February 18, 2024

What you need to know:

• The system was specifically designed for Ugandan citizens, according to government.

In an effort to increase efficiency and security, the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration control (DCIC) has announced that all Ugandans arriving from abroad have the option to utilize the self-clearance gates at Entebbe International Airport.

The new e-gates at the airport will speed up passport control by allowing passengers to scan their own passports. It uses facial recognition to verify identity and captures the travelers’ images.

Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson Simon Mundeyi Wednesday told Monitor that people flying into Uganda will be required to provide fingerprints and undergo facial scanning for authentication and verification of the data on the passport chip. “We encouraged Ugandans to adopt this technology since it’s efficient, saves time and minimizes errors. The e-gate machines at the airport have advanced technology which is tailored specifically to expedite the clearance process,” Mundeyi observed.

“We are many stations at the airport and they are only for Ugandans arriving back home with the new electronic passports which contain a chip, which is readable by the machines,” he added.

But Mundeyi expressed concern that the gates are underutilized as Ugandans prefer interacting with people rather than machines even as machines are available at multiple points, but visibly left unused as people queue at immigration officer points.

“It’s essential to emphasize that this system was specifically designed for Ugandan citizens,” he said.

Last year, government announced the upgrade of paper-based e-passport to polycarbonate e-passports designed with strong anti-fraud features, making them suitable for use at the new electronic gates at the airport for self-clearance, automated boarding pass issuance, and quick passenger processing around the world.

According to immigration, as per last week, they had issued out only 1,346,560 passports -both paper based and polycarbonate– from the time they phased out EA passports in 2018, noting that over 43 million Ugandans don’t have passports.

Despite significant government investment in passport technology, Mundeyi said the anticipated surge has not yielded.

“Many Ugandans only apply for passports when they have a specific reason, such as travel or employment abroad,” he told Monitor.

“As the passport office, we would feel glad to have many Ugandans apply for passports. Therefore, we put in place a new system because we anticipated 3,000 passport applications per day but to our surprise, the number has reduced to less than 1,000 applicants per day,” he said.

According to Internal Affairs ministry, express passport applications are now disposed of in two days with applicants receiving their passports while for ordinary applicants get their passports in 10 working days.

“If you apply for an express passport, you will be given an appointment in the next 30 minutes. I therefore call upon Ugandans to desist from using brokers to apply for passports because there is no reason to do this when the system is as efficient as it can be,” Mundeyi said.

How the e-gate works

1. Touch the screen

2. ⁠ Place your passport and scan it and hold it until the machine tells you to remove the passport

3. You identify if the scanned passport and the person in the system as identified is yourself by touching yes

4. ⁠ You select the flight used and the element of returning citizen

5. You proceed to look into the camera which is above the screen so that the system can match your facial features with the record in the ABC

6. ⁠ Finally, it will issue you a ticket that you will proceeded to use at the e-gates. The gates open by scanning the barcode on the ticket and looking straight into the camera for face capture.

Adopted from: The Daily Monitor Wednesday February 14, 2024

Uganda’s aviation sector stands poised for a significant upgrade as the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) announced that the expanded apron at Entebbe International Airport will soon be capable of accommodating up to 100 parked aircraft. This development marks a significant stride in the nation’s aviation infrastructure, poised to bolster its position on the global aviation map.

Entebbe Airport’s Expansion

Entebbe International Airport, Uganda’s primary gateway to the outside world, is currently undergoing a comprehensive upgrade and expansion. The project, led by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), includes the construction of a new terminal building and the expansion of aprons. The new terminal is scheduled for completion by July 2024.

The expanded apron, as announced by the UCAA, is part of this larger project and its impending readiness is a key milestone in this expansive initiative. The ability to accommodate up to 100 parked aircraft will significantly increase the airport’s capacity and efficiency, paving the way for enhanced connectivity and a potential boost in tourism.

Additional Developments at Entebbe

In addition to the apron expansion, the airport will also see the completion of a new cargo center, and the resurfacing of runways and associated taxiways. These improvements are a part of a concerted effort to modernize Uganda’s aviation infrastructure and align it with international standards.

Implications for Uganda

The overhaul of Entebbe International Airport plays a crucial role in Uganda’s economic development strategy. By enhancing its aviation infrastructure, the country is not only improving its connectivity but also signaling its readiness to attract global business and tourism. With the airport’s capacity significantly increased, it is also expected to boost local employment and stimulate ancillary industries.

Adopted from: BNN Breaking New January 14, 2024

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

What you need to know:

• All mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that delegates are smoothly welcomed into the country and as well seen off at ease.
• During the UCAA’s stakeholder meeting in Kampala on December 4, the UCAA executive director, Mr Fred Bamwesigye, said they are ready to accommodate 70 aircraft, should each of the expected head of state come with theirs, depending on the type.

Adopted from: The Daily Monitor Wednesday January 10, 2024