The African Development Bank Group has approved €155.99 million in financing to support the upgrade of Uganda’s Arua Airport into an international-standard facility, strengthening aviation infrastructure in the country’s West Nile region and improving access to neighbouring markets in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The financing forms part of Phase 1 of the Uganda Airports Development Programme, which is intended to improve domestic and regional connectivity through safer, more efficient and climate-resilient airport infrastructure.
Located approximately 450 kilometres from Kampala, Arua Airport serves one of Uganda’s most strategically positioned regional markets. The airport is already the country’s second busiest after Entebbe International Airport, according to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, but existing aviation facilities have limited the region’s ability to support stronger passenger, cargo, tourism and trade flows.
The planned upgrade includes the construction of a 3.5-kilometre paved runway capable of accommodating large aircraft, including the Boeing 777. The project will also deliver new taxiways and aprons, a passenger terminal with annual capacity for 700,000 travellers, and a cargo terminal designed to handle 25,000 tonnes per year.
Additional works will include a new control tower, access roads, car parking areas and modern safety systems.
The total programme cost is estimated at €157.76 million. The Bank Group’s contribution comprises an African Development Bank loan of €141.15 million and a €14.84 million loan from the African Development Fund, its concessional lending arm. The Government of Uganda will provide an in-kind contribution valued at €1.77 million.
Mike Salawou, the Bank Group’s Director for the Infrastructure and Urban Development Department, said the project would support market access, business activity, tourism and Uganda’s position as a regional trade and logistics hub.
The project will be implemented by the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority under the oversight of the Ministry of Works and Transport. Fred Bamwesigye, Director General of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, described the airport as a significant development for Uganda, noting that it would strengthen aviation infrastructure and regional connectivity while supporting social and economic transformation in the region.
According to Bamwesigye, Arua Airport’s expansion will also provide Uganda with an alternative to Entebbe International Airport during emergencies.
Arua, the regional capital of northwestern Uganda, has strong potential in agriculture, tourism, trade, culture, logistics and regional integration. Improved air access is expected to support the movement of perishable goods to regional and international markets, while also improving access to tourist attractions in the West Nile region.
More than 500,000 people in Arua City and District are expected to benefit directly from the programme. The wider West Nile region, home to more than 3.3 million people, is also expected to benefit from improved transport access and investment opportunities.
The programme is expected to create approximately 500 direct jobs during construction and more than 1,400 indirect jobs across tourism, agriculture and trade. It will also provide skills training for at least 100 young people, including women, in engineering, construction and equipment operations.
The initiative aligns with the African Development Bank Group’s Ten-Year Strategy 2024–2033 and Uganda’s Country Strategy Paper 2022–2026, which prioritises sustainable infrastructure, improved market access and competitiveness in support of industrialisation.
