Arua Airport:

Your Gateway to Northern Uganda

Arua Airport (IATA: RUA, ICAO: HUAR) is a bustling airport located in the Northern Region of Uganda, serving the commercial and administrative capital of the West Nile region, the city of Arua. With its strategic location just 19 kilometers from the Ugandan border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and about 32 kilometers from the border between Uganda and South Sudan, Arua Airport is an important center for passenger and cargo air traffic between Uganda and its two neighbors. The airport boasts a 1800-meter runway, with a width of 30 meters, made of Murram surface, and an altitude of 5200 Ft. The airport offers various services to passengers, including terminal services, fuel arrangements, meteorology, immigration and customs facilities, accommodation and hotels, and transportation. Arua Airport is currently the second-busiest airport in Uganda, after Entebbe International Airport, with a monthly average of 180 air traffic movements. Eagle Air operates scheduled flights from Arua Airport to Entebbe and Yei, and MAF Uganda operates flights to Kajjansi. Ad hoc and charter flights are also operated by Mission Aviation Fellowship, United Nations, AIM Air, Samaritan Purse, and Kampala Aero Club and Flight Training Center. In addition to its bustling commercial and cargo operations, Arua Airport is also authorized to handle cross-border air traffic from neighboring countries to promote tourism within Eastern Africa. The airport serves as a hub for passengers from Southern Sudan and DRC to connecting flights through Entebbe International Airport. The Civil Aviation Authority of Uganda, which owns and operates Arua Airport, has started to upgrade the airport to international standards in July 2009. Plans included a modern airport terminal with a capacity for 200 passengers, paving the runway, widening it to 45 meters, and extending it to 2.5 kilometers. However, these plans have stalled since 2009 because of a compensation dispute with local landowners. In conclusion, Arua Airport is an important gateway to the West Nile region of Uganda, offering a wide range of services and connecting flights to and from Entebbe and neighboring countries. With plans to upgrade the airport to international standards, Arua Airport is set to become an even more important hub for passenger and cargo air traffic in the region.