Ethiopian Airlines, which generated $7 billion in revenue during the 2023/2024 fiscal year and expects $8 billion this year, is preparing to begin construction on a new mega airport located 44 kilometers outside Addis Ababa.
In an interview with BBC Focus on Africa, CEO Mesfin Tassew revealed that the fully expanded Bole International Airport is now handling 25 million passengers annually, but Ethiopian Airlines’ rapid growth demands a much larger facility.
The new airport, set to be built on 3,500 hectares of land, will eventually accommodate up to 110 million passengers per year, making it one of the largest airports in Africa. Construction will proceed in two phases: the first phase will enable capacity for 60 million passengers and is expected to be completed by 2029. Phase two will complete the full project.
Tassew confirmed that around 2,500 farming households near Bishoftu (Debre Zeit) will be relocated to make way for the project. He stated that residential homes, agro-processing, and trading facilities are being built to support the displaced communities.
Groundbreaking work is scheduled to begin by the end of November 2025, aligning with the relocation timeline.
Ethiopian Airlines continues to aggressively expand its international footprint, recently adding new destinations, including Hanoi, Vietnam, following Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s working visit last week.
