Borkena
Toronto – It has been several months, if not years, since Ethiopian airlines announced plans to construct a bigger airport in Debre Zeit (Bishoftu) – about 44 kilometers south east of the capital Addis Ababa.
Today, the airlines announced that the construction of the new one has officially started.
“Ethiopian Airlines Group has officially commenced the construction of Bishoftu International Airport. The construction begun today, January 10, 2026, following an official groundbreaking ceremony…” it said in a social media update. The project is said to be the largest aviation project in the history of the continent.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other senior members of his Prosperity Party government, Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tassew, and other stakeholders were present in the ceremony organized to lay a cornerstone.
The new airport, which is named as Bishoftu International Airport (BIA), can serve up to 110 million passengers per year. With ample space to park 270 planes at a time, the airport will serve as a hub for Ethiopian Airlines expanding passengers flight destinations. It will cost $12.5 billion.
The latest addition to its 145 destinations was Lyon. This week the airlines announced that it will have three times a week flight starting July this year.
The construction of the new airport, poised to be the largest in Africa, will be implemented in phases. After the completion of the first phase, the airport will have capacity to serve 60,000 passengers a year. It is planned to be completed in four years.
Bole International Airport which has seen extensive expansion over the past few years is said to be near to its capacity of carrying 25 million passengers a year.
According to the CEO, a 38 kilometers highspeed railway will be constructed as part of the first phase of the project with 120 to 200 kilometers per hour speed connecting the new airport with Bole International Airport.
In a remark shared on his social media page in three languages (Amharic, English and Oromo), Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed remarked that the new project “…aligns with Ethiopia’s national economic reforms, industrialization agenda, and long-term aviation strategy. The project will strengthen Ethiopian Airlines’ global competitiveness, enhance Africa’s connectivity under the AfCFTA framework, expand trade and tourism corridors, and position Ethiopia as a premier intercontinental hub.”
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This happens when a company is always fortunate enough to be managed and run by geniuses from top to the bottom. We haven’t seen anything yet. Ways to go brothers and sisters!!! Right on!!! Okay bigots and connivers! We all know by now that such good news will drive you up the wall. Jump in a lake and never try to come up.