Arua Airport
Location
The airport is 19 kilometres (12 mi) from Uganda's border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and about 32 kilometres (20 mi) from the border between Uganda and South Sudan. It is approximately 375 kilometres (233 mi) by air north-west of Entebbe International Airport, Uganda's largest airport. The coordinates of Arua Airport are: 03°02'50.0"N, 30°54'44.0"E (Latitude:3.047222; Longitude:30.912222).
Overview
Arua Airport's strategic location makes Arua Airport an important center for passenger and cargo air traffic between Uganda and its two neighbors, the DRC and South Sudan. It the second-busiest airport in Uganda, after Entebbe International Airport.
Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Eagle Air | Entebbe, Yei |
| MAF Uganda | Kajjansi |
| BAR Aviation Uganda | Entebbe |
Planned improvements
In July 2009, the Civil Aviation Authority of Uganda, which owns and operates Arua Airport, publicly announced that it had started to upgrade the airport to international standards. Plans included a modern airport terminal with capacity for 200 passengers, paving the runway, widening it to 45 metres (148 ft), and extending it to 2.5 kilometres (8,200 ft). However, these plans have stalled since 2009 because of a compensation dispute with local landowners.
These improvements are part of efforts to improve Arua Airport, Gulu Airport, and Kasese Airport to international standards. When these improvements are complete, Uganda will have four international airports, including the only preexisting international airport at Entebbe.
Arua Airport is one of twelve upcountry airports administered by the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority. It is also one of five upcountry airports authorized to handle cross-border air traffic from neighboring countries to promote tourism within Eastern Africa.
Developments
In February 2024, East of Eden Uganda Limited (EOE), a private investment company executed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Works and Transport to fund, execute and publish a feasibility study to convert Arua Airport into Arua International Airport. When the report is published and the parties agree on terms, it is expected that EOE will be awarded a concession to develop the international airport under the build–own–operate–transfer (BOOT) public private partnership arrangement.
