Ethiopian Airlines, the national carrier of Ethiopia, has announced plans to build a new mega airport near Bishoftu town, located about 42 kilometers east of Addis Ababa. The announcement was made on August 11, 2024, following the signing of an agreement with Dar Al-Handasah, an international consulting firm, which will oversee the design and supervision of the project.
The new airport is set to become Africa’s largest upon its completion in 2029. It will feature four runways and will be capable of handling up to 100 million passengers annually. Additionally, it will provide parking for 270 aircraft. Mesfin Tasew, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ethiopian Airlines Group, revealed these details during a briefing.
Tasew noted that the current main hub, Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, is nearing its full capacity of 25 million passengers per year. The new airport will address the growing demand and expand the airline’s operational capabilities significantly.
The construction of the airport will occur in two phases. The first phase, expected to be completed within five years, will include two runways and will have the capacity to handle 60 million passengers annually. This phase alone is projected to cost at least 6 billion U.S. dollars, with funding sourced from loans provided by interested companies.
The airport will cover an area of 35 square kilometers and will include various facilities such as shopping centers and hotels. Once the design phase is completed, the construction project will be put out to tender.
In the 2023/2024 financial year, Ethiopian Airlines carried 17.1 million passengers and anticipates this number to rise to 20 million in the upcoming financial year, which began on July 8, 2024. The new airport is expected to support this growth and enhance the airline’s capacity to meet future demands.
