Kabalega International Airport in Hoima has started receiving passenger aircraft, marking a major step towards the operationalisation of Uganda’s newest international airport.
The airport received its first aircraft on Sunday, 27 September 2026, as football teams and officials arrived ahead of the ongoing preparations for AFCON 2027.
An aircraft carrying officials from CAF, FIFA and the AFCON Local Organising Committee landed at the airport in the morning. The arrival was followed by the Libyan national football team, which landed aboard Uganda Airlines at about 1:04pm.
The Libyan team is in Uganda for its 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Uganda Cranes at Hoima City Stadium on Tuesday. The match will be the first major international fixture to be played at the newly constructed stadium.
The Uganda Cranes are also expected to travel to Hoima aboard Uganda Airlines and land at Kabalega International Airport ahead of the match.
The first passenger flights are being used to demonstrate the airport’s readiness ahead of its full operationalisation. State Minister for Transport Fred Byamukama said the government had organised the flights to demonstrate that the airport was ready to receive passenger aircraft.
What you should know about Kabalega International Airport
Kabalega International Airport, formerly known as Kabaale International Airport, is located in Kabaale Parish, Buseruka Sub-county, Hoima District.
The airport was built as a key infrastructure project for Uganda’s oil and gas industry in the Albertine Graben. It is also expected to improve air connectivity in western Uganda and support tourism, trade and regional economic activity.
Construction of the airport began in 2018. The project includes a 3.5-kilometre runway, passenger and cargo facilities, taxiways, airfield lighting, navigation systems, an air traffic control tower and other supporting infrastructure.
The airport is being developed at a reported cost of about US$309 million, financed through UK Export Finance and Standard Chartered Bank. It is designed to handle large passenger and cargo aircraft and can accommodate up to four large cargo aircraft simultaneously.
The government said in its 2026/27 Budget Speech that physical works at the airport had been completed and that operational requirements were being finalised to prepare it for First Oil and AFCON 2027.
The airport is therefore expected to become an important gateway to the Albertine region, particularly as Uganda prepares for increased activity linked to oil production and its co-hosting of AFCON 2027 with Kenya and Tanzania.
