The Director General of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) , Mr. Fred K. Bamwesigye ,has said that the organization remains committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment that respects and celebrates the cultural and religious diversity of its employees.
Bamwesigye was speaking during the special Iftar dinner, a moment of reflection, unity, and spiritual renewal during the month of Ramadan, organized and held by UCAA.
As a result of everyone’s commitment, Bamwesigue said ,the aviation industry continues to register growth in traffic.
The DG highlighted that in 2025, Entebbe International Airport registered 2.48 million international passengers compared to 2.243 million in 2024 and 1.93 million in 2023. Cargo has also grown exponentially with 69,595 metric tonnes recorded in 2025 compared to 67,098 metric tones in 2024 and 59, 072 metric tones in 2023. These are clear signs of progress.
“The Muslim fraternity contributes greatly to the airport’s passenger traffic, especially during the Hijja period and Umrah. Many of you are also prominent business men and traders, who frequently use the airport’s facilities. We highly appreciate your patronage,” he stated .
Bamwesigye regreted to noted that given the on-going war in the Middle East some of the airline operations between Entebbe and the affected destinations have been impacted since Saturday, February 28, 2026.
He said that several flights to Dubai, Sharja and Doha could not take – off from Entebbe or land. This, especially affected operators of direct flights from Entebbe to those destinations, such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia and Uganda Airlines.
With various airports in the affected areas announcing phased resumption of operations, Bamwesigye said that Air Arabia has since resumed flights to Sharja. Fly Dubai also resumed operations to Dubai .
Fly NAS to Riyadh is the other Middle East bound operator which has managed to operate flights through this period. Qatar to Doha, Emirates and Uganda Airlines are yet to resume Dubai flights.
Ethiopian Airlines and Fly NAS has had flights to take muslim pilgrims to Medina for Umrah.
The UCAA boss said that the holy month of Ramadan “teaches us discipline, empathy, and communal harmony. It is a time to support one another, extend kindness, and uphold the highest standards of integrity and service.
As professionals in the aviation sector, let us embody these values in our work, ensuring they reflect in our interactions, service delivery, and overall commitment to excellence as we continue to grow Uganda’s aviation industry.”
