Ethiopian Airlines has signed a deal to invest in the design and development of a new mega airport near Addis Ababa.
The flag carrier announced last week that it signed the partnership with engineering and architecture firm Dar Al-Handasah Consultants (Shair and Partners), a partner of Zaha Hadid Architects.
Dubbed the Mega Airport City, the new airport will be located in Bishoftu City, 40km from Addis Ababa’s current Bole International Airport.
The new airport is expected to bring an annual capacity of 110 million passengers upon its completion – four times more than Bole’s.
It is already targeted to serve 60 million travellers a year when the first phase of construction is completed by 2029.
Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, said: “The project will not only enhance connectivity but also drive economic growth and prioritise environmentally responsible practices in our country and beyond, reflecting the airline’s commitment to innovation and sustainability.
“With its exceptional capacity and world-class facilities, this new airport promises to elevate African aviation and strengthen partnerships, marking a significant advancement for the region’s air travel infrastructure.”
Tariq Al-Qanni, Dar’s director of operations, added: “We are privileged to be collaborating with Ethiopian Airlines on this visionary new airport, which will provide vital global air connectivity, accelerate economic growth in Ethiopia, and elevate Ethiopian Airlines into Africa’s most strategic and most competitive aviation group.”
The new airport will incorporate 1.1 million m2 of terminal space, with 126,190m2 of passenger facilities and over 100,000m2 of cargo and airport support facilities.
It will also be built at a lower elevation than Bole, which is currently among the world’s highest elevated large airports at 2,300m.
The high elevation added with the regularly high ambient temperatures at Addis Ababa presents Bole with operational constraints for heavy aircraft, which the new airport will be able to mitigate, it is hoped.
