{{Short description|Airport in Uganda}} {{Infobox airport | name = Arua Airport | nativename = | image = | caption = | IATA = RUA | ICAO = HUAR | type = Public | owner = [[Uganda Civil Aviation Authority]] | operator = | city-served = [[Arua]], [[Uganda]] | location = <!--if different than above--> | elevation-f = 3,951 | coordinates = {{coord|3|02|50|N|30|54|44|E|region:UG|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map = Uganda | pushpin_relief = yes | pushpin_map_caption = Location of airport in Uganda | pushpin_label = '''RUA''' | pushpin_label_position = right | website = | metric-rwy = y | r1-number = 18/36 | r1-length-m = 1707 | r1-surface = Unpaved | footnotes = }}

'''Arua Airport''' {{Airport codes|RUA|HUAR}} is a civilian airport serving the city of [[Arua]] in the [[Northern Region, Uganda|Northern Region]] of [[Uganda]]. {{as of|November 2016}}, it is one of the 47 airports in the country.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=16 November 2016| url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/uganda/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109130908/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/uganda | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 9, 2021 | title= The World Factbook: Transportation - Uganda | date=2013 |publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) | author=CIA | location=Langley, Virginia, USA}}</ref>

==Location== The airport is {{convert|19|km|mi}} from Uganda's border with the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] (DRC) and about {{convert|32|km|mi}} from the border between Uganda and [[South Sudan]]. It is approximately {{convert|375|km|mi}} by air north-west of [[Entebbe International Airport]], Uganda's largest airport.<ref>{{cite web | work=Flightconnections.com |date=19 May 2024 |url=https://www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-rua-to-ebb |title=Flight Distance Between Arua Airport, Arua, Northern Region, Uganda And Entebbe International Airport, Entebbe, Uganda | author=Flightconnections.com |access-date=19 May 2024}}</ref> The coordinates of Arua Airport are: 03°02'50.0"N, 30°54'44.0"E (Latitude:3.047222; Longitude:30.912222).<ref>{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/3%C2%B002'50.0%22N+30%C2%B054'44.0%22E/@3.0478635,30.9065173,1438m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d3.047222!4d30.912222 | title=Location of Arua Airport, Uganda |access-date=16 November 2016}}</ref>

==Overview== [[File:Eagle Air Let L-410UVP-E9 Turbolet.jpg|thumb|Eagle Air at Entebbe International Airport]] Arua Airport's strategic location makes Arua Airport an important center for passenger and cargo air traffic between Uganda and its two neighbors, the DRC and South Sudan. It the second-busiest airport in Uganda, after Entebbe International Airport.<ref name="Still">{{cite web|date=18 July 2013 | url=http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Arua-airport-project-stalls-over-land-conflictShut-gateway/688342-1918210-o63324/index.html | title=Arua airport project stalls over land conflict |location=Kampala | access-date=16 November 2016 | newspaper=[[Daily Monitor]] | last=Felix Warom Okello | first=and Clement Aluma}}</ref>

==Airlines and destinations== <!-- Please use only independent sources. The airport and airline itself are not independent sources. --> {{Airport destination list | [[Eagle Air (Uganda)|Eagle Air]] | [[Entebbe International Airport|Entebbe]], [[Yei Airport|Yei]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://eagleair-ug.com/scheduled-flights/flight-times | title=Eagle Air Scheduled Flight Times Effective 1 August 2014 | date=1 August 2014 | access-date=16 November 2016 | publisher=[[Eagle Air (Uganda)|Eagle Air]] | author=Eagle Air | location=Entebbe | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161014124706/http://www.eagleair-ug.com/scheduled-flights/flight-times | archive-date=14 October 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref> |[[MAF Uganda]]|[[Kajjansi Airfield|Kajjansi]]<ref name="2R">{{cite web| url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Government-talks-with-Amin-family-Arua-airport-expansion/688334-5123910-mcn44yz/index.html |title=Government in talks with Amin family over Arua airport expansion |newspaper=[[Daily Monitor]] | date=21 May 2019 |access-date=22 May 2019 |first=Franklin | last=Draku |location=Kampala}}</ref>|[[BAR Aviation Uganda]]|[[Entebbe Airport|Entebbe]]}}

==Planned improvements== In July 2009, the [[Civil Aviation Authority of Uganda]], which owns and operates Arua Airport, publicly announced that it had started to upgrade the airport to international standards. Plans included a modern airport terminal with capacity for 200 passengers, paving the runway, widening it to {{convert|45|m|ft}}, and extending it to {{convert|2.5|km|ft}}.<ref>{{cite news | title=Upgrading of Arua Airfield Commences | url=http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1240699/upgrading-arua-airfield-commences | newspaper=[[New Vision]] | date=9 July 2009 | access-date=15 November 2016 | first=Frank | last=Mugabi | location=Kampala}}</ref> However, these plans have stalled since 2009 because of a compensation dispute with local landowners.<ref name="Still"/><ref>{{cite web|access-date=16 November 2016 | url=http://ugandaradionetwork.com/story/arua-air-field-compensation-caa-pays-123-out-of-275-affected-persons- | title=CAA Starts Compensating Arua Residents | date=7 January 2016 | publisher=[[Uganda Radio Network]] | author=Robert Ariaka |location=Kampala}}</ref>

These improvements are part of efforts to improve Arua Airport, [[Gulu Airport]], and [[Kasese Airport]] to international standards. When these improvements are complete, Uganda will have four international airports, including the only preexisting international airport at Entebbe.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.eturbonews.com/7349/wolfgangs-east-africa-tourism-report | title=Wolfgang's East Africa Tourism Report: The Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority Gets Busy In 2009 |publisher=eTurboNews.com | date=22 January 2009| author=Wolfgang Thome | location=Entebbe | access-date=16 November 2016}}</ref>

Arua Airport is one of twelve upcountry airports administered by the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority. It is also one of five upcountry airports authorized to handle cross-border air traffic from neighboring countries to promote tourism within [[Eastern Africa]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://observer.ug/news-headlines/4231-arua-airport-construction-begins | title=Arua Airport Construction Begins |author=Drisimaku Richard | date=12 July 2009 | access-date=16 November 2016 |location=Kampala | newspaper=[[The Observer (Uganda)]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Markets/CAA-unveils-master-plan-to-create-four-new/688606-2606554-7429b2/index.html |title=CAA unveils master plan to create four new international airports| date=30 January 2015 | access-date=16 November 2016 |work=[[Daily Monitor]] |author=Paul Tajuba | location=Kampala, Uganda}}</ref>

==Developments== In February 2024, ''East of Eden Uganda Limited'' (EOE), a private investment company signed a [[memorandum of understanding]] (MOU) with the [[Ministry of Works and Transport (Uganda)|Ministry of Works and Transport]] to fund, execute and publish a feasibility study to convert Arua Airport into Arua International Airport.<ref name="Feas1R">{{cite web| work=[[New Vision]] |date=29 February 2024 |url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/arua-airport-to-get-international-standards-NV_182312 |title=Arua Airport To Get International Standards |author=Apollo Mubiru |access-date=19 May 2024 |location=Kampala, Uganda}}</ref> When the report is published and the parties agree on terms, it is expected that EOE will be awarded a concession to develop the international airport under the [[Build–operate–transfer|build–own–operate–transfer]] (BOOT) [[public private partnership]] arrangement.<ref name="Feas2R">{{cite web| url=https://eastnews.co.ug/2024/02/28/just-in-minister-katumba-signs-mou-with-investor-to-upgrade-arua-airport-into-international-airport/ |title=Minister Katumba Signs MOU with Investor to Upgrade Arua Airport into International Airport |work=East News Uganda | date=28 February 2024 |author=Markson Omagor |access-date=19 May 2024 |location=Mbale, Uganda}}</ref>

==See also== *{{Portal-inline|Uganda}} *{{portal-inline|Aviation}} * [[Transport in Uganda]] * [[List of airports in Uganda]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20180321085011/http://caa.co.ug/ Uganda Civil Aviation Authority] * {{GCM|HUAR}} * {{SkyVector|HUAR}}

<!--Navigation boxes-->

{{authority control}} {{Airports in Uganda}} {{Arua District}}

[[Category:Airports in Uganda]] [[Category:Arua]] [[Category:Arua District]] [[Category:West Nile sub-region]] [[Category:Northern Region, Uganda]]