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Ethiopian Airlines' Group CEO, Mesfin Tasew and Dar Al-Handasah Consultants’ director of operations in Ethiopia, Tariq Al-Qanni, with the agreement for the new airport.
Ethiopian Airlines Group has kick-started plans for what is intended eventually to be Africa’s largest airport, to be built outside Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
The Group announced Aug. 12 that it has signed a technical advisory and consultancy contract with Dar Al-Handasah Consultants (Shair and Partners), a partner with architects Zaha Hadid Architects, to begin the design and supervision of a “Mega Airport City” at Abusera in Bishoftu City.
The new airport lies southeast of the Ethiopian capital, around 40 km (22 nm) further out from the city than the current Bole Airport, which is located on the edge of the built-up area.
In the new airport’s first phase, scheduled for completion in 2029, the contract aims to deliver a facility with an annual capacity of 60 million passengers, almost three times the number that passed through Bole in 2022.
Ultimately, the new airport is planned to be capable of handling 110 million passengers a year, four times Bole’s capacity.
The airport will feature four runways, a 1.1 million m² (11.8 million ft.²) terminal including passenger facilities, 126,190 m² of airline support facilities, and more than 100,000 m² of cargo and airport support facilities.
Bole, at 2,300 m (7,600 ft.) elevation, is one of the highest international airports in the world. The new airport will be lower, at 1,920 m (6,300 ft.), slightly easing hot-and-high constraints for aircraft.
Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew said the new airport would help establish Ethiopia as a global aviation hub. “The project will not only enhance connectivity but also drive economic growth and prioritize environmentally responsible practices in our country and beyond, reflecting the airline’s commitment to innovation and sustainability,” Tasew said. “This new airport promises to elevate African aviation and strengthen partnerships, marking a significant advancement for the region’s air travel infrastructure.”
Plans for the new airport were first put forward in 2018. The new airport will have parking space for 270 aircraft, Tasew said at a press conference in Addis Ababa on Aug. 9. “Phase one alone will cost at least $6 billion,” he was quoted as saying in Reuters. “The money will come through loans, and there are already companies that showed interest.”
Ethiopian Airlines carried 17 million passengers in its fiscal 2023/2024 and expects to carry 20 million in fiscal 2024/2025, which started in July.
“We are privileged to be collaborating with Ethiopian Airlines on this visionary new airport, which will provide vital global air connectivity, accelerate economic growth in Ethiopia, and elevate Ethiopian Airlines into Africa’s most strategic and most competitive aviation group,” said Tariq Al-Qanni, Dar Al-Handasah Consultants’ director of operations in Ethiopia.
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