Ethiopian Airlines has signed a contract for the design of a new airport valued at six billion dollars, which is expected to be the largest in Africa, as reported by official media. The company's CEO, Mesfin Tassew, stated during a press conference held on Friday that the new airport will be capable of accommodating one hundred million passengers annually once completed within five years.
The airport will be located in Bishoftu, approximately forty kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa, and will cover an area of 35 square kilometers, as clarified by the official. He noted that "the first phase includes building airport facilities with a capacity to accommodate 60 million passengers annually, while the completion of the second phase of the airport project will enable handling over one hundred million passengers per year," as reported by Fana Broadcasting Corporation.
According to Agence France-Presse, the airport will be the largest in Africa upon the full completion of the project. Mesfin added, "The detailed design of the new airport will be developed, and Ethiopian Airlines will assist in selecting the contractors who will build the new airport facilities." Ethiopian Airlines is the largest airline in Africa and revealed last month revenues of seven billion dollars for the fiscal year 2023-2024, having transported 17.1 million passengers. Currently, Bole International Airport, where the company is based, has a maximum capacity of 25 million passengers annually.
