Ethiopia Signs Deal to Build Africa's Largest Airport in Bishoftu

Posted on : Wednesday , 2nd October 2024

Ethiopia has inked a deal for the construction of a new four-runway airport which will be Africa's largest when it is completed in 2029. According to the chairman of state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, the design has the potential to change Africa's aviation industry. The airport, located in the town of Bishoftu, about 45 kilometers from the capital, Addis Ababa, will be capable of handling 100 million passengers each year. Furthermore, Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew stated at a news conference that it will accommodate 270 aircrafts.

Sidara, a Dubai-based architectural and consulting enterprise, will design the airport. Tariq Al Qanni, the company's director of operations, noted this observation. The airport's construction plans were first announced in 2018, but it has taken some time to get underway. However, with the plans and right procedures in place, work is set to begin shortly.

Africa's largest airport is intended to have tremendous importance and future potential not only for Ethiopia, but for the entire continent. The airport will supplement Ethiopia's existing Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, which is one of the largest. Mesfin stated that Bole Addis Ababa International Airport will shortly exceed its capacity of 25 million passengers per year. The airport is also presently the primary hub for Africa's largest airline. "It is a five-year project that is scheduled to conclude in 2029.”It will be the biggest in Africa," Mesfin stated.

Phase one is projected to cost approximately $6 billion. The funds would be provided in the form of loans, and several enterprises have already expressed interest, he continued. In the fiscal year 2023–2024, Ethiopian Airlines handled 17 million passengers; for the fiscal year that commences in July, the airline hopes to serve 20 million passengers. The airport is expected to establish East Africa as a major aviation center as a result of the anticipated influx once completed. The airport will be constructed on 35 square kilometres of land with a lower elevation. The airport is projected to cut jet fuel usage and permit longer-distance flights. This is mostly owing to the lower altitude.

Aéroports de Paris Ingénierie (ADPI), a French airport design and engineering firm, has completed a feasibility assessment for the proposed new $5 billion airport in Bishoftu. According to reports, the assessment involved picking the construction location in Bishoftu, 50 kilometres from Addis Ababa. The new airport, which would be Africa's largest, is expected to relieve congestion on Bole Airport.As it is now, Bole International Airport can handle 19 million travellers per year.