Ethiopia has signed a major agreement to develop a new international airport that will be the largest in Africa once completed. The project, estimated to cost $6 billion (around £4.7 billion), is set to be completed by 2029 and will replace the current Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, which is nearing full capacity.
The future airport will be constructed near the town of Bishoftu, about 28 miles from the Ethiopian capital. It is designed to handle up to 100 million passengers annually, with infrastructure capable of accommodating 270 aircraft and featuring four runways. According to Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, the facility will serve as the new hub for Africa’s largest airline, which is expanding rapidly.
Currently, Bole International Airport handles only about a quarter of the capacity that the new airport will support. Ethiopian Airlines carried 17 million passengers in 2023/2024 and expects that number to rise to 20 million in the coming year.
The airport’s design will be overseen by Sidara, a Dubai-based engineering and consultancy firm. Funding for the project will primarily come from loans, and several companies have already expressed interest in backing it.
The airport project is part of a global trend of constructing massive, modern air travel hubs. Similar projects are underway in regions like the Middle East and Europe. For instance:
- Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport is expanding to potentially handle 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of freight yearly.
- King Salman International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is expected to open by 2030 with six runways and capacity for 120 million passengers annually.
- The Maldives is finalizing an $800 million upgrade to Hanimaadhoo Airport, while Norway and Italy are also building new airports to meet growing demand.
The Ethiopian airport is one of several large-scale airport developments aiming to support tourism, trade, and economic growth across their respective regions. Once completed, it will mark a major milestone in Africa’s aviation sector, strengthening Ethiopia’s role as a major hub for global air travel.
