Ethiopian Airlines breaks ground on $12.5 billion Bishoftu International Airport, billed as Africa’s largest by 2030
Ethiopian Airlines has launched construction on a $12.5 billion greenfield hub in Bishoftu, a town about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa, in a project officials say will become Africa’s biggest airport when completed in 2030.
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The state-owned carrier has been awarded the contract to design a four-runway complex at the site, where earthworks have begun. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, announcing the start of work on X, said, “Bishoftu International Airport will be the largest aviation infrastructure project in Africa’s history.” He said the airport will be able to park 270 aircraft and handle up to 110 million passengers annually.
That scale would put the new hub at more than four times the capacity of Addis Ababa’s current main airport, which Abiy said is on track to hit its limits within the next two to three years as passenger traffic climbs.
Abraham Tesfaye, the airline’s infrastructure development and planning director, told reporters at the site that Ethiopian Airlines will finance 30% of the project, with the remainder to come from external lenders. He said $610 million has already been allocated for earthworks, which are scheduled to be completed within a year, and that main construction contracts are slated to start in August 2026.
The project cost, initially estimated at $10 billion, has been revised to $12.5 billion. Among expected financiers is the African Development Bank, which said in August it would lend $500 million and lead efforts to raise a further $8.7 billion. Abraham said lenders from the Middle East, Europe, China and the United States have expressed strong interest in backing the build-out.
Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier by network and fleet, added six routes in the 2024/25 period and said revenues are expanding, underscoring the growth pressures at its existing hub and the strategic push to cement Addis Ababa’s position as a global transfer point between Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
The Bishoftu plan envisions a four-runway field with vast aircraft parking and terminal capacity intended to absorb long-term growth in both passenger and cargo operations. By shifting future expansion outside the capital, authorities aim to free up airside capacity, reduce congestion and create room for additional commercial development in and around the new hub.
Key facts
- Total project cost: $12.5 billion (up from an initial $10 billion estimate)
- Location: Bishoftu, Ethiopia, about 45 km southeast of Addis Ababa
- Scale: Four runways; stands for 270 aircraft; annual capacity of 110 million passengers
- Funding: 30% from Ethiopian Airlines; balance from lenders
- Financing partners: African Development Bank pledging $500 million and leading efforts to raise $8.7 billion; interest from lenders in the Middle East, Europe, China and the United States
- Timeline: Earthworks funded at $610 million to finish within one year; main contractors to mobilize in August 2026; targeted completion in 2030
- Rationale: Addis Ababa’s current airport expected to reach capacity in two to three years
The airline’s expansion comes as African carriers compete to capture a larger share of intercontinental traffic and cargo flows. With Bishoftu International Airport, Ethiopian is betting on scale—and on timely financing—to sustain its growth trajectory and reduce strain on existing infrastructure.
Photo: A member of the Ethiopian Federal Police walks past the Bishoftu International Airport design during construction commencement in Abusera, Ethiopia, Jan. 10, 2026. (REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri)
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
