(Posted 02nd June 2026)
In yet another blow to Uganda’s tourism industry has KLM taken the decision to halt flights to Entebbe, reportedly over Ebola restrictions and concerns.
KLM said that while the area was not currently seen as an active risk zone, it could no longer operate ?planned routes due to travel and entry measures some countries ?have introduced for people who recently travelled through Entebbe, including ?its crew, which was exchanged in Entebbe for the return flights to Amsterdam.
Travel Advisories are coming down thick and fast on Uganda
Uganda’s woes started when the US State Department raised their travel advisory to Level 4, which directs that no travel to Uganda should take place and subsequently compelled all travelers returning from Uganda to the US to enter the country only at Dulles International Airport in Washington, where a special screening unit now operates.
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority steps up measures for passengers arriving from Congo DR and Uganda
Kenya has along with other countries in the region also stepped up health measures in the face of the Ebola outbreak in Uganda.
‘We’re continuing to monitor the situation and looking into what’s possible,” KLM said in a travel advisory
The WHO has declared the Ebola outbreak caused by the rare
Bundibugyo version ?of the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern, although it does not meet the criteria of a ?pandemic emergency
In Uganda there is now some controversy emerging over the handling of various government departments of the Ebola outbreak and respective actions, reactions and restrictions. While the President issued a directive that the annual Martyrs Day celebration in Namugongo were to be cancelled, did other government departments continue to promote travel to Uganda as ‘Safe‘ including holding a regional tourism fair although subsequently other events too were cancelled over health risk concerns.
Meanwhile has Brussels Airlines revised their crew overnight arrangements and subsequently rerouted their flights, so that crews would not be affected in their upcoming schedules when they could face entry restrictions after having been in Uganda.
The Belgian National Airline said last week that the restrictions prohibited crew members from entering the U.S. if they had ?been in DRC or Uganda in the previous 21 days The airline added it would make “significant adjustments” to its crew scheduling ?to continue operating flights to Entebbe, Kinshasa, New York ?and Washington, adding it would maintain its flight schedule whenever possible.
And in breaking news has Uganda’s Ministry of Health just confirmed six ?more new cases ?of Ebola, bringing the total confirmed ?in the ?country so far to ?15, the ?health ministry said on ?Tuesday.
The ministry said in a statement on ?its X ?account that the six were ?confirmed ?among contacts of other confirmed cases. It said ?to ?date ?there were two discharges from ?hospital, with ?12 ?people admitted and one death.
This confirms that erring on the side of caution is always better than taking the risky road.
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