Ethiopia is set to construct the largest airport in Africa, Bole International Airport, in Bishoftu, a town located 39km South-East of the capital Addis Ababa. The US $5bn airports is expected to cover an area of 35 square kilometres and will have a capacity to handle 100 million passengers every year.
According to Ethiopian Airlines‘ Chief Executive Officer Tewolde Gebremariam who revealed the ambitious plan, Bole Airport is not going to be sufficient considering the ever-rising number of passengers but they have a beautiful expansion project.
“Bole airport looks very beautiful and very large but with the way that we are growing, in about three or four years we are going to be full,” he added.
Reducing congestion at Bole Airport
As it stands, Bole International Airport has a capacity to handle 19 million passengers annually. The new airport is also expected to significantly reduce congestion at Bole. The rapid growth of Ethiopian Airlines, being the largest airline in Africa by fleet size and revenue, has not kept up with the air infrastructure.
Also Read:Tanzania secures US $272m for construction of an international airport
Formerly Ethiopian Air Lines (EAL) and often referred to as simply Ethiopian, is Ethiopia’s flag carrier and is wholly owned by the country’s government. EAL was founded on 21 December 1945 and commenced operations on 8 April 1946, expanding to international flights in 1951. The firm became a share company in 1965 and changed its name from Ethiopian Air Lines to Ethiopian Airlines.
The airline has been a member of the International Air Transport Association since 1959 and of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) since 1968. Its hub and headquarters are at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, from where it serves a network of 125 passenger destinations; 20 of them domestic and 44 freighter destinations. The airline has secondary hubs in Togo and Malawi.
Project overview
Ethiopian Airports launched the US$ 400M Addis Ababa Bole International Airport expansion project back in November 2014.
The project has three phases, the first of which was the expansion of Terminal 2 which was first inaugurated in 2003 with a floor area of 48,000sqm and a design capacity for six million passengers annually. Under the expansion project, inaugurated in 2019 the terminal will be given an additional floor area of 74,000sqm and a large commercial duty-free area. Upon completion, this phase will enable Bole international airport which currently accommodates 12 million to handle up to 25 million passengers annually.
The China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) is the contractor, the French firm, ADPI, is the project consultant and CPG, a renowned Singaporean company, is the architect that worked on the passenger terminal expansion building.
EXIM Bank of China financed the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport phase one expansion project.
The second phase of the project entails the construction of the VIP terminal that has two floors featuring restaurants, a press briefing room, a meeting hall and a cocktail ballroom, plus a VIP saloon. It will have three different access ways for diplomats, senior government officials, and heads-of-state plus its own car park and access road.
The third phase entails the expansion of Terminal 1 which currently handles domestic and regional flights, and merging it with Terminal 2 which handles international flights. The apron, which used to accommodate 53 aircraft, will also be worked on to handle 75 at a time, and have a separate stand for general aviation light aircraft, operated by private operators.
The runways will also be upgraded and maintained, and three new taxiways created to increase the total number of taxiways to six.
Reported earlier
Jun 2014
Ethiopia’s US$250m Bole International Airport expansion project begins
The Chinese construction firm, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) has begun work on the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport expansion project. The expansion is aimed at transforming the passenger terminal into a state-of-the-art terminal and boosting its capacity.
A senior official of the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise confirmed the report and said that CCCC started fencing the construction site and has also started the earth-breaking works. He further said that the enterprise plans to expand the airport passenger terminal at a cost of US$ 250m from a loan that was secured from the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of China.
The Addis Ababa Bole International Airport passenger terminal expansion project includes the construction of a new passenger terminal as an extension of the existing Terminal 1 (domestic and regional terminal) and Terminal 2 (international terminal) with all related equipment and the construction of a new VIP passengers’ terminal.
The new terminal will house boarding areas, lounges, recreation centres, shopping malls, offices and other facilities. It will also consist of new boarding gates, boarding bridges, and new parking areas. At present, the two terminals accommodate 6.5 million passengers every year but when complete, they will accommodate 25 million passengers yearly.
CCCC, which is the contractor of the projects is engaged in the construction and design of transportation infrastructure dredging and port machinery manufacturing business. It is the largest port construction and Design Company in China, the largest dredging company in China and the third-largest in the world.
Jul 2014
Aéroports de Paris Ingénierie wins Bole Airport expansion contract in Ethiopia
A French Consultancy firm Aéroports de Paris Ingénierie (ADPI) has been awarded a US$250m consultancy deal for the Bole International Airport passenger terminal expansion project. The Ethiopian Airports Enterprise (EAE) had earlier this year put up an international tender invitation for companies to supervise the construction of the passenger terminal.
Apart from supervising the construction of the passenger terminal at Bole International Airport, ADPI is expected to come up with a study on the site selection for the new airport and strategize on how to integrate it with the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The new airport is to be constructed outside Addis Ababa. Three locations have been identified for the mega-hub found near Mojo, Teji, and Dukem towns.
China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) has already commenced construction works on the passenger terminal at Bole International Airport. China’s Exim Bank is the financier of the project where the bank gave out a US$250m loan for this purpose.
The expansion of the terminal will include the construction of a new passenger terminal as an extension of the current terminals, and the construction of a new VIP passengers’ terminal. It will also include house boarding areas, lounges, recreation centres, shopping malls, offices and other facilities.
ADPI is a French architecture and engineering company operating worldwide on complex development and construction projects.
Feb 2015
Ethiopia to build a US$ 2.4bn international airport
Ethiopian Airport Enterprise (EAE) is planning to build a US$ 2.4bn airport out of Addis Ababa in the next 10 years. The mega project will sit on 144sq km of land and is expected to be located on a low land area, 70km South-East of Addis Ababa.
Commander Tsegaye Kaleab, deputy head of the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport expansion project said that the international airport is anticipated to accommodate a total number of 100 million passengers annually and will have four runways constructed.
The Addis Ababa Bole International Airport has only one runway and is able to serve only seven million passengers per year.
A highway that links Addis Ababa to the airport will also be constructed so as to ease congestion and traffic around the area. Tsegaye also added that the plan will not only be an airport but an airport city. “It is not only an airport that we are going to build. We will have an entirely new airport city,” he said.
Some proposals in regards to the site locations have been made, three of them being near Modjo, Dukem and Teji towns. However, officials disapproved of the locations and selected eight new sites. “Of these eight locations, five will be presented to the government for the final decision,” Tsegaye said.
The site location for the project has not yet been confirmed.
This multi-million development will be the second-biggest infrastructure development project in Ethiopia after the US$ 4bn Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam that is under construction.
The country has previously also initiated airport expansion projects such as the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport expansion project.
March 2015
Ethiopia’s Bole International Airport expansion project now to cost US$ 340m
Expansion of the Bole International Airport in Ethiopia, which was scheduled to cost US$ 225m will now be constructed at a cost of US$ 340m. This comes after further evaluation and studies were done on the airport construction project. Construction started last year June.
The contractors, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) plan to carry out the expansion in two phases and once the airport is complete, it will eventually have the ability to handle a maximum number of 20 million travellers annually in a time duration of 15 to 20 years.
Part of the finances for the airport construction project will come from a loan to be provided by the Export-Import Bank of China (Chinese ExIm Bank), which agreed to assist with only US$ 225m. The design work for the expansion project was done by CPG Corporation Pte. Ltd, which is based in Singapore.
“Although the additional costs of the construction are known, the source of the financing has not yet been determined and the Enterprise will request the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED) to look for the finance,” stated Tewodros Dawit, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ethiopian Airports Enterprise (EAE).
The development that is being done by CCCC will entail the extension of the existing Terminal 1 (domestic and regional terminal) and Terminal 2 (international terminal) with the relevant kinds of equipment. The new modernized terminal will have boarding gates, boarding bridges, and a new parking area for passengers, airport staff and a new VIP passenger terminal.
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is located in the Bole area, 6 km east of the city centre and is the main hub of Ethiopian Airlines. Currently, it serves 14 million passengers annually.
April 2018
Expansion work ongoing at Bole International Airport in Ethiopia
Phase I expansion at the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is currently ongoing. Once expansion work is complete, the airport is expected to commence operation by end of June 2018. Ethiopian Airlines Group announced this during its nine-month report before HPR Transport Affairs Standing Committee.
During the presentation, Ethiopian Airports Enterprise CEO, Tewdros Dawit, affirmed that significant attention is given to the Bole International Airport expansion work, and that phase I of the expansion work is scheduled to be complete by end of June and commence operation. Moreover, the whole expansion project will come to completion by the end of this year. It is expected that the expansion will enable the Airport to accommodate up to 22 million passengers per annum.
According to Tewdros Dawit, the expansion project aims at addressing the congestion issue among the country’s airports, as well as enable the Airport to make a big leap within the continental aviation industry.
Regarding domestic airports, Ethiopia boasts of the largest number of airports in Africa next to Nigeria, which meets international standards.
Also read: Mega International airport in Ethiopia to be constructed
Addis Ababa Bole International
Located in the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the airport is 6 km southeast of the city centre and 65 km north of Debre Zeyit.
Formerly the airport was known as Haile Selassie I International Airport and it is the main hub of Ethiopian Airlines. The airport is also the base of the Ethiopian Aviation Academy.
Jan 2019
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport terminal in Ethiopia inaugurated
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has inaugurated the newly expanded Addis Ababa Bole International Airport terminal, the biggest airport aviation hub in Africa exceeding Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport.
The China-funded project began construction in 2015 at a cost of US $35m. The terminal has been fitted with modern amenities including automated bag drop solutions, e-gates, self-check-in kiosks, baggage handling and the latest airport security technologies.
Also Read: New Airport Terminal launched in Nigeria
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport terminal
The project is projected to raise the annual passenger capacity to 22 million from its current 7 million. Addis Ababa last year overtook Dubai as the leading gateway to Africa, according to travel intelligence agency ForwardKeys.
The terminal and the new five-star luxury hotel that was recently launched by the airline are a great boost for the state carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, which is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan aimed at becoming Africa’s leading airline group. Founded 74 years ago, the airline has an operating fleet of 111 planes and currently flies to more than 119 international passenger and cargo destinations, with over 61 of those in Africa alone.
This five-star hotel rests on 40, 000 square meters and has 373 rooms with 27 presidential and executive suites, four restaurants and a conference and banquet hall that can hold 2, 000 people at a time.
Ethiopian Airlines has strategically invested across Africa, making deals to revive defunct airlines, setting up hubs in countries including Togo, and partnering with airlines in Malawi, Chad, and Mozambique. The country also announced that it would start granting visas on arrival to people from Africa.
Jan 2020
This a great achievement by the Ethiopians and it is a way to becoming the only greatest hub in Africa. We have partnered with the Airline in transporting groups of people to various destinations and have complained many times of the facilities at the airport. Now they have left no room for complaint. We wish the Airline the very best of luck and inspite of mishap our support is still 100%.
When are you returning to Bangui, Central African Republic (BGF), you are needed here for passenger traffic to all East African countries, Europe and the US?
This calls for a round of applause for Ethiopian Airlines,the Government as well as the Ethiopian people. Anything you set your heart and mind on,you can do and also can achieve. Congratulations!
Well done, keep it up. Ethiopia makes us proud.
Well done, and thank you all at the Ethiopian Airline! The headquarters of the African Union surely deserves to own the infrastructure and the corresponding premises to host the world’s masses en-route their respective destinations around the globe! This Ethiopian Airline feat is a real seek for development at its onset on the African continent, and leadership is part of its solution! Bravo the Ethiopian Airline!
A strategic vision with committed leadership and dedication makes it happened ! A job well done.
Go head the NEW SPIRIT OF AFRICA
Ethiopian airlines is not for only Ethiopians for Africans also am proud of u.
Will they improve the terrible customer service.
I hope customer service improves, it can’t get worse.
It is a very great achievement to be applauded. Along with this big aviation hub, the Ethiopian Air Lines has also accomplished and inaugurated a big hotel.
Major Development in the Aviation Sector by Ethiopia Indeed with its central location within in Africa and the amazing history of Ethiopian Airlines What Is Next!
Impressive!! Business expansion while maintaining excellent and quality service.
Ride on EA.
Great job Ethiopia! An example to everyone of what can be done when there is the will, commitment and determination.
Very Good Show!
It reflects a marvelous progress as regards to the development activities being undertaken in Ethiopia.
Well done- Keep it up!
Form: Mohammad Ali Asif
Karachi- Pakistan.
“Of a dedicated effort, this is a ‘do’, not a ‘try’; more-so to the fact of a rightful pride-rise and focus for a Worthy Business Venture Accounts here, In this Inaugurated Biggest Airport Aviation Hub in Africa. Of today’s Economic Challenging World, ‘Confidence is the Welcome Yardstick’; Well Utilized, it Yields Much sought Resources and Imaginations turn into Reality and Development For a Nation Building. Ethiopia, you Undertook the Rightful Venture for a Worthy, Various Business Opportunities.”