Ethiopia plans to build what would be the largest airport on the continent, with four-runways at an estimated cost of $6 billion.
The airport will be located near the resort town of Bishoftu (Oromia region), 45 km from the country’s capital and will span over an area of 35 sq.km, Mesfin Taseu, CEO of the Ethiopian Airlines group said.
Ethiopian Airlines expects the airport to be ready in five years, following the approval of its design.
With a capacity to handle 60 million passengers, the new infrastructure will strengthen Ethiopian Airlines role as East Africa’s main carrier.
Dubai-based engineering and consulting firm Sidara will design the airport.
Ethiopian Airlines carried 17 million passengers in the 2023/2024 financial year, and expects to carry 20 million passengers in the financial year that started in July.