Ethiopia has begun construction of a vast new airport near Addis Ababa, betting on aviation-led growth to reinforce its ambition of becoming Africa’s primary air transport hub.
Work started on Saturday on a new international airport in Bishoftu, a town southeast of the capital, in what the government describes as the largest aviation project ever launched on the continent.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the start of construction, calling it “the largest aviation infrastructure project in Africa’s history.” He said the development reflects Ethiopia’s long-term strategy to expand its role in global air travel.
The airport is expected to cost around $12.7 billion and, at full capacity, handle up to 110 million passengers a year. Construction is expected to take five years. Partly financed by Ethiopian Airlines, the Bishoftu hub is designed to replace Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport, which currently handles up to 25 million passengers annually.
“This multi-airport strategy aims to future-proof Ethiopia’s role as Africa’s leading air transport gateway,”
He added that the project would “strengthen Ethiopian Airlines’ global competitiveness, enhance African connectivity, expand trade and tourism corridors and position Ethiopia as a major intercontinental hub.”Abiy said in a post on X.
Plans for the airport extend beyond aviation. Abiy said the project will be supported by a multi-lane motorway linking the site to the capital, as well as a 38-kilometre high-speed railway that will reach speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour.
Funding for the project is being assembled from several international partners. The African Development Bank has earmarked $500 million, while Ethiopian authorities are in talks with the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank and the US Development Finance Corporation to secure additional financing.
Despite ongoing armed conflict in the Amhara and Oromia regions, the government hopes the new airport will help attract foreign tourists and investors. Bishoftu is located in Oromia, one of the regions affected by the unrest.
The airport will occupy a 35 square kilometre site and has already led to the displacement of about 2,500 farmers. Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Mesfin Tasew Bekele said last November that those affected were resettled at a cost of $350 million.
Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous country with around 130 million people, has launched a series of large-scale infrastructure projects in recent years. Last year, it officially inaugurated the continent’s largest dam, while major urban renewal schemes are underway in Addis Ababa and other cities.