Plans have been put in place by Ethiopia for the establishment of New Addis Ababa Airport which is expected to quadruple the passenger capacity from 25 million passengers to 100 million passengers annually. These plans were frist mooted over 3 years ago but have become more pressing as time passes.
The New Addis Ababa Airport will be located at a slightly lower altitude as compared to the home hub of the Ethiopian Airlines which sits at 7,500 feet making it among the highest globally. This factor tends to create operational difficulties for the fleet of Ethiopian Airlines. According to a statement that was made by the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mesfin Tasew, the new airport is going to give way for the strategy of growing Ethiopia.
In this fiscal year, which ends in the month of June 2024, Ethiopian Airlines is expecting to grow from 13.9 million passengers to 18 million passengers. By the time next summer reaches, the pre-existing aprons and terminals at the Addis Ababa hub will be expanded in order to be able to accommodate a passenger capacity of 25 million.
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New Addis Ababa Airport Site Location
The new site of the New Addis Ababa Airport is located around 38 kilometers south of city of Addis Ababa. The new airport will have a total of four runways and shall be constructed on an existing site which contains both cargo and VIP operations. Lastly, the new Addis Ababa airport shall be opened within a period of four years.
This New Addis Ababa Airport project is expected to cost approximately $5.6 billion. A construction company shall be assigned to come up with the design of the airport, construct it, and also provide the funding for the project. Quite a number of construction companies have shown their interests in the establishment of this project. This new airport will possess a capacity of 100 million passengers annually which is four times the capacity of the pre-existing Ethiopian Airlines hub.
