Tarmac marking pushes Kabalega Airport closer to September launch
The process, part of the sh1.18 trillion project, began on Monday, February 17, 2025, and involves applying various coloured lines to guide aircraft movement safely.
The airport is scheduled to commence operations in September 2025, initially handling cargo flights transporting heavy equipment for oil and gas development. (File photo)
NewVision Reporter
@NewVision
The final stages of construction at Kabalega International Airport in Kabaale, Hoima district, are well underway, with tarmac marking progressing smoothly.
The process, part of the sh1.18 trillion project, began on Monday, February 17, 2025, and involves applying various coloured lines to guide aircraft movement safely.
Officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport, along with the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), confirmed the development.
This follows the completion of the grooving process, a crucial step designed to enhance safety by reducing friction during takeoff and landing. The airport forms a key part of the Kabalega Industrial Park (KIP), an initiative aimed at strengthening Uganda’s oil and gas sector.
Fred Byamukama, the state minister for works and transport, announced that the Civil Aviation Authority has officially gazetted the facility as Kabalega International Airport.
This follows a Cabinet resolution to rename it from Kabaale Airport in honour of Omukama Kabalega of Bunyoro, who reigned in the late 19th century.
The airport is scheduled to commence operations in September 2025, initially handling cargo flights transporting heavy equipment for oil and gas development.
Designed with a modern, large-scale infrastructure, Kabalega International Airport is expected to be instrumental in supporting both cargo and passenger transport, particularly for the Uganda Oil Refinery and regional oilfields.
Originally planned at 3,100 metres (10,171 feet), the airport’s main runway has been extended to 3,500 metres (11,483 feet) to accommodate larger aircraft.
In February 2018, the government awarded the airport’s construction contract to Shikun & Binui, an Israeli-based firm, at a cost of US$309 million.
The work, carried out by Solel Boneh International Holdings (SBI), includes paving 3.5 kilometres (11,000 feet) of runway, earthworks, drainage systems, and critical aviation infrastructure such as electro-mechanical systems, communication and navigation systems, an air traffic control tower, a cargo terminal, and residential and service structures.
In April 2023, President Yoweri Museveni directed that the airport be renamed "Kabalega International Airport" in tribute to Omukama Kabalega, a revered historical figure in the region.