Ethiopia has signed a landmark agreement to design Africa’s largest airport, slated for completion in 2029.
The new four-runway airport will be located near Bishoftu, approximately 45 kilometers from the capital, Addis Ababa. According to Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew, the facility will have the capacity to accommodate 100 million passengers annually and provide parking space for 270 aircraft.
The Dubai-based engineering and consulting firm Sidara has been selected to design the airport, as confirmed by the company’s director of operations, Tariq Al Qanni. The project, initially announced in 2018, is part of Ethiopia’s strategic plan to expand its aviation infrastructure.
Mesfin highlighted that the current main hub, Bole Addis Ababa International Airport, is nearing its maximum capacity of 25 million passengers per year. “It is a five-year project that will be completed in 2029 and will be the largest in Africa,” Mesfin stated.
The initial phase of the project is estimated to cost at least $6 billion, which will be financed through loans. Several companies have already expressed interest in participating. Ethiopian Airlines, which carried 17 million passengers in the 2023/2024 financial year, anticipates transporting 20 million passengers in the current financial year.
