Ethiopia Plans $12.5 Billion Airport to Reshape African Air Travel

Fez – Ethiopia has begun building a new international airport that could change how people travel across Africa, reducing the need to transit through cities outside the continent.

Construction started in January on the Bishoftu International Airport, located about 30 miles southeast of Addis Ababa.

According to CNN Arabic, the project, valued at $12.5 billion, has been described by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as the largest aviation infrastructure project in Africa’s history.

The new airport is expected to open in 2030 with two runways and an initial capacity of 60 million passengers per year.

Plans are already in place to expand that capacity to 110 million passengers, a figure that would exceed traffic at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, currently one of the busiest airports in the world.

The project is being led by Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest airline by fleet size, passenger numbers, and revenue.

The airline has outgrown its main hub at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport, which is approaching its maximum capacity with little room for expansion.

Addis Ababa already plays a key role in African aviation.

However, the new airport is designed to go further by focusing on transit passengers, positioning Ethiopia as a central hub for connecting flights across the continent and beyond.

The project also aims to strengthen air cargo capacity. With the ability to handle up to 3.73 million tons of goods each year, the airport could support trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), helping improve the movement of goods within Africa.

The new airport could mark a turning point for African air travel, offering more direct connections within the continent and reducing reliance on international hubs outside Africa.

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