Libyan National Football team at Kabalega International Airport/UCAA photo
Kabalega International Airport in Hoima District has handled its first passenger traffic linked to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations as Uganda steps up preparations to co-host the continental tournament.
An Eagle Air flight carrying officials from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and members of the local organising committee landed at the airport on Sunday morning.
The Libyan national team followed, touching down at 10:30 a.m. aboard an aircraft operated by Eagle Uganda ahead of their AFCON qualifier against Uganda at Hoima City Stadium on Tuesday.
The Libyan players were transported by road to Hoima City, where they will be accommodated ahead of the match.
The Uganda Cranes are also expected to land at the airport shortly aboard a Uganda Airlines aircraft.
The flights provide an early practical test for the newly constructed airport as Hoima prepares to host its first competitive international fixture involving the Uganda Cranes.
Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama said government organised the flights to test the airport and demonstrate its readiness ahead of official commissioning.
The development comes as Uganda prepares for AFCON 2027, which it will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania.
Uganda has already secured automatic qualification as a host nation but is participating in the qualifiers to maintain competitive match fitness.
The Hoima fixture marks a new phase in the decentralisation of national-team football, being the first competitive international for the Cranes outside the Kampala metropolitan area, apart from CECAFA Championship matches.
Beyond football, the airport’s use is significant. Kabalega International Airport is one of the major infrastructure projects in the Albertine region, where Uganda is preparing for commercial oil production.
Construction started in April 2018, with financing arranged through Standard Chartered Bank. The facility is expected to facilitate movement of personnel, equipment and cargo for the oil and gas industry.
It features a 3.5-kilometre runway, 45 metres wide, a cargo terminal, fire station, control tower, apron, taxiway, passenger terminal, navigation and communication systems, and air rescue and firefighting facilities. It is designed to handle up to four cargo aircraft simultaneously.
The contractor, a joint venture between Israeli-British firms Shikun & Binui International and Colas Limited, said in August that construction had reached 98 percent, with handover to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority expected by the end of October. The remaining major works included installation of the air traffic control system.
The airport is being tested alongside Hoima City Stadium, another key facility for AFCON. The 20,000-seater stadium in Kyarwiru Cell, Hoima East Division, was constructed by Turkish firm SUMMA at a reported cost of $129 million, financed through Uganda’s Petroleum Fund.
The stadium includes VVIP facilities, an indoor arena, swimming pool, modern changing rooms and gyms, basketball and volleyball courts, media facilities, a hybrid pitch and a VAR room.
The arrival of CAF officials, the Libyan team and the Uganda Cranes gives both the airport and stadium an early operational test as preparations for AFCON 2027 gather pace.
