Gulu Airport

The airport is located {{convert|3|km|mi}} north-west of the central business district of Gulu, the largest metropolitan area in the Northern Region. The airport is approximately {{convert|306|km|mi}}, by air, north of Entebbe International Airport, Uganda's largest civilian and military airport.{{cite web| publisher=Air Miles Calculator | url=https://www.airmilescalculator.com/distance/ebb-to-ulu/#:~:text=Distance%20between%20Entebbe%20(EBB)%20and,flight%20time%20is%2051%20minutes.|title=Air Distance Between Entebbe International Airport And Gulu Airport, In Uganda |date=5 October 2020 |author=Air Miles Calculator |access-date=5 October 2020}} The geographical coordinates of Gulu Airport are: 02°47'58.0"N, 32°16'31.0"E (Latitude:2.799444; 32.275278).{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/2%C2%B047'58.0%22N+32%C2%B016'31.0%22E/@2.7994444,32.2752778,392m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d2.7994444!4d32.2752778 |title=Location of Gulu Airport, Northern Region, Uganda |access-date=6 October 2020}} The airport sits at an elevation of {{convert|3510|ft|0}} above mean sea level.{{cite web|

url=https://airportguide.com/airport/info/ULU |title=Elevation of Gulu Airport |publisher=Airportguide.com |date=6 October 2020 |

author=Airportguide |access-date=6 October 2020}}

The airport serves the city of Gulu, with an estimated population of 177,400 in 2020.{{cite web|date=6 October 2020 |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uganda/cities/ |title=The population of all Ugandan cities and towns with more than 15,000 inhabitants according to census results and latest official projections |publisher=Citypopulation.de |access-date=6 October 2020 |author=Uganda Bureau of Statistics}} It is one of the twelve upcountry airports under the administration of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA). It is also one of the five upcountry airports authorized to handle cross-border air traffic between Uganda and neighboring countries, in an effort to promote tourism within Eastern Africa.

Eagle Air has regular flights from Entebbe International Airport on Mondays and Thursdays. As of October 2019, Sky Travel and Aviation also offers twice-weekly flights from Juba International Airport in South Sudan. Charter flights between Gulu and Moyo Airport, Arua Airport, and Pakuba Airport are also occasionally flown.{{cite web|title=Uganda Domestic Scheduled And Charter Flights |url=https://www.theugandaguide.com/getting-around/domestic-flights |publisher=Theugandaguide.com | date=October 2020 |author=The Uganda Guide |access-date=6 October 2020 |location=Kampala}}

Dutch multinational company Fugro's airborne survey division was contracted by the government of Uganda to perform airborne geophysical mineral exploration surveys throughout Uganda between 2006 and 2009. To perform its duties in the Northern Region, the company based two aircraft out of Gulu with daily low-level (80 meters above ground level) flights up to the Sudanese border. In 2019 the South African company Xcalibur Airborne Geophysics, was hired to carry out similar exploration work over Northeastern Uganda.{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uganda-mining-idUSL8N28C3CE |title=Uganda picks South African firm for regional mineral survey |publisher=Reuters.com |date=2 December 2019 |

author=Elias Biryabarema |access-date=6 October 2020}}

During the course of the air campaign of the Uganda–Tanzania War (1978–79), Gulu Air Base hosted Ugandan and Libyan military aircraft.{{cite news| newspaper=The New York Times |title=Tanzania Bombs Entebbe Airport, Damaging Runway | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/04/02/archives/tanzania-bombs-entebbe-airport-damaging-runway-scant-damage.html |date=2 April 1979 |author=The New York Times |access-date=6 October 2020 |

location=New York City}}

During the 21 years of civil war between the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government, the Ugandan Air Force was actively based from Gulu. Since the LRA rebel activity ended, the Gulu military presence has been reduced to a sizeable ground force with no aircraft, based around the military hangars west of runway 35. The Air Force Base is used to train UPDF fighter pilots, as of 2019.{{cite web| newspaper=The Independent (Uganda) |url=https://www.independent.co.ug/updf-passes-out-18-combat-aircraftc-pilots-in-gulu/ |title=UPDF passes out 18 combat aircraft pilots in Gulu |date=6 November 2019 |author=The Independent |location=Kampala}}

The facilities at the airport include terminal, fire and rescue, and transportation services. Fuel, immigration, and customs services are available on arrangement. However, weather service is not available locally.

In 2019, Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda, indicated that Gulu Airport was going to be upgraded to international standards, including construction of a new, larger cargo terminal building, improving firefighting capacity and installing floodlights for the runway. Other planned improvements include new aircraft hangars, control towers, access routes, ground markings and parking areas for both aircraft and vehicles.{{cite web|title=Uganda to upgrade Gulu airport to meet international standards |publisher=Construction Review Online |url=https://constructionreviewonline.com/2019/11/uganda-to-upgrade-gulu-airport-to-meet-international-standards/ | date=14 November 2019 |author=Patrick Mulyungi |access-date=6 October 2020 |location=Nairobi}}

In January 2014, phased renovation of the airport was commissioned by the Ugandan Minister of Works and Transport. The first phase involves resurfacing and lengthening the asphalt runway to {{convert|3.14|km|ft}} and widening it to {{convert|45|m|ft}} at a budgeted cost of US$4 million. The complete renovation will cost an estimated US$59 million and involves the construction of a larger passenger terminal building, a new car park, access roads, and cargo operations facilities. Other planned improvements include the addition of runway lights, infrastructure for fire and rescue services, and air navigation and traffic control systems.{{cite news|url=https://ugandaradionetwork.com/story/caa-unveils-gulu-airport-master-plan-execution |title=CAA Unveils Gulu Airport Master plan Execution |publisher=Uganda Radio Network |

date=27 January 2015 |author=Alex Otto |access-date=6 October 2020 |location=Kampala}}

File:Eagle Air L-410.jpg

The Gulu non-directional beacon (Ident: GU) is located on the field.{{cite web|date=6 October 2020 | url=https://skyvector.com/?ll=2.805556,32.271792&chart=301&zoom=3 |publisher=Skyvector.com |title=Skyvector Flight Planning for Gulu Airport |author=Skyvector |access-date=6 October 2020}}

Airlines offering scheduled passenger service:

{{Airport destination list

|Eagle Air{{cite web| url=https://www.eagleair-ug.com/schedules/ |title=Eagle Air Flight Schedule |date=6 October 2020 |publisher=Eagle Air Uganda |access-date=6 October 2020 | author=Eagle Air Uganda |location=Entebbe}}| Entebbe

| Sky Travel and Aviation| Juba{{cite web|title=Gulu-Juba Flight Service Launched |url=https://www.pmldaily.com/news/2019/10/gulu-juba-flight-service-launched.html |publisher=PMLDaily.com |date=20 October 2019 |access-date=21 October 2019 |author=PMLDaily Reporter

|place=Kampala}}

}}

• Gulu District
• Transport in Uganda
• List of airports in Uganda

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• [http://www.gcmap.com/airport/ULU Airport Information for Gulu Airport] at Great Circle Mapper

{{Airports in Uganda|state=collapsed}}

{{Gulu District}}

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Category:Airports in Uganda

Category:Gulu District

Category:Northern Region, Uganda