HIBAPRESS – Rabat
Ethiopia announced the launch of a massive project to build a new international airport, described as the largest of its kind in the African continent, with a total cost of approximately $12.5 billion. The airport will be located in the Bishoftu area, about 45 kilometers southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, and is expected to be completed by 2030.
This project comes in the context of the country's efforts to keep pace with the rapid growth of air traffic and overcome the limitations of the current main airport's capacity. The new airport is expected to include four runways and facilities capable of receiving about 270 aircraft, with an operational capacity of up to 110 million passengers annually, placing it among the largest airports globally. The project design contract has been awarded to Ethiopian Airlines, which will contribute about 30 percent of the total cost, while the remaining funding will be provided through financial institutions and international lenders, amid increasing interest from entities in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and America. Ethiopian officials are betting on this strategic project to transform Addis Ababa into a pivotal continental hub for air connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world, in addition to supporting vital sectors such as tourism, trade, and logistics. The new airport is also expected to create thousands of jobs and enhance the country's attractiveness for foreign investments, thus forming a basic lever for economic growth and an indicator of Ethiopian ambition to strengthen its presence in the aviation industry at the continental and international levels.
