According to state media reports, Ethiopian Airlines has agreed to build a new airport in Africa that is expected to cost $6 billion.
As Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, explained during a press conference on Friday, the new airport will have a capacity of 100 million passengers per year once it is completed in five years.
He mentioned that Ethiopian Airlines has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dar, a Dubai-based consulting firm, to oversee the design development of the airport, which will have four runways.
“It will be built in Bishoftu, about 40 kilometers southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, and will cover 35 square kilometers,” he said.
“The first phase includes the construction of the airport facility with a capacity of 60 million passengers per year and after completion of the second phase we will be able to handle more than 100 million passengers per year,” Mesfin said, according to the state-affiliated broadcaster Fana Broadcasting Corporate.
Tariq Al-Qanni, Dar’s operations manager, who attended the press conference, said that once completed, it will be the largest airport in Africa, Fana reported.
“The scope of the agreement will see Dar develop the detailed design of the new airport while assisting Ethiopian Airlines in the selection of contractors who will build the new airport facilities,” Mesfin added.
Africa’s largest airline is Ethiopian Airlines, which recently announced revenues of $7 billion for the 2023/24 financial year and carried 17.1 million passengers. The airline’s hub is currently at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, which can handle up to 25 million passengers annually.
