Arua Airport is a civilian airport serving the city of Arua in the Northern Region of Uganda. , it is one of the 47 airports in the country.
Location The airport is from Uganda's border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and about from the border between Uganda and South Sudan. It is approximately 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
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 , and extending it to . 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 signed 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.
In June 2026, the African Development Bank Group approved loans totaling €155.99 million (UGX:650 billion) to finance the upgrade of Arua Airport to international standards. Improvements include (a) Construction of a 3,500 metre paved runway "capable of handling large aircraft such as the Boeing 777" (b) Construction of new taxiways and aprons (c) Construction of a passenger terminal with capacity for 700,000 travellers every year and (d) Construction of a cargo terminal designed to handle 25,000 tonnes per annum.
Funding The table below outlines the sources of funds for the upgrade of this airport.
+ Funding of Arua Airport Expansion Rank Development partner Contribution in Euros Percentage Notes 1 African Development Bank 141.15 million 89.5 Loan 2 African Development Fund 14.84 million 9.4 Soft Loan 3 Government of Uganda 1.77 million 1.1 Investment Total 157.76 million 100.00
See also
Transport in Uganda List of airports in Uganda
References
External links Uganda Civil Aviation Authority