Uganda: CAA Issues Travel Advisory to Pilgrims, Warns of Delays At Entebbe Airport

The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has issued a travel advisory to all Muslim pilgrims heading to Mecca for Hajj to plan for delays at departure at Entebbe airport.

According to the authority, this is due to the growing number of passengers passing through the airport amid the ongoing expansion construction works.

“Owing to the big number of pilgrims expected to travel to Mecca and on-going construction works at Entebbe airport, departing passengers are advised to plan for more time in order to avoid missing flights,” said Vianney Luggya, the spokesperson of CAA.

This come five days to the holly month of Hijah. Pilgrims from across the world will be in Mecca, Saudi Arabia for Hajj which is expected to commence on the evening of Thursday, 7th until Tuesday July, 12th.

Luggya reminded passengers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to carry proof of vaccination while those not fully vaccinated should undertake Covid-19 PCR tests within 72 hours (and / or check destination requirements).

He revealed that the authority has registered growth in the number of passengers using Entebbe airport in the last quarter of year.

“Entebbe recorded 59,071 arrivals and 66,862 departures in May 2022, an average of 4,062 per day. We are yet to hit the 5,000 passengers per day recorded in 2019 but we see light at the tunnel’s end. In April , the daily average was 3,864 up from 3,793 in March , 3,658 in February and 3,566 in January,” Luggya said.

Currently, The airport passenger terminal building has the capacity to handle 410 arriving and 320 departing passengers during peak hours on a daily basis and over one million travelers a year. But by 2033, the airport is projected to handle 6 million passengers and store 172,000 metric tons of cargo annually.

Adopted from: All Africa News