Construction has officially begun in Bishoftu on what Ethiopia describes as Africa’s biggest airport and the continent’s largest aviation infrastructure project.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Saturday laid a ceremonial plaque at the site, located about 45 kilometres south-east of Addis Ababa, formally marking the start of work on the new facility.
The airport, expected to reach full capacity by 2030, is projected to handle about 110 million passengers annually. The $12.5 billion project will feature four runways and parking space for up to 270 aircraft.
Once completed, the Bishoftu hub will have more than four times the capacity of Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport, which currently handles up to 25 million passengers a year but is expected to reach saturation within three years.
In a post on X, Abiy said the project is part of a “multi-airport strategy” aimed at future-proofing Ethiopia’s position as Africa’s leading air transport gateway. He said the initiative would strengthen Ethiopian Airlines’ global competitiveness, enhance African connectivity, and expand trade and tourism corridors.
Ethiopia hopes the new airport will help attract foreign tourists despite ongoing armed conflict in its two most populous regions, Amhara and Oromia, where Bishoftu is located.
The project also includes a multi-lane motorway linking the airport to the capital, as well as a 38-kilometre high-speed railway that the prime minister said would reach speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour.
Funding for the Bishoftu airport is expected to come from Ethiopian Airlines, international financiers, and the African Development Bank.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
Follow us on:
