Ethiopia is doubling down on its ambition to dominate Africa’s skies with a multibillion-dollar airport project that Finance Minister Ahmed Shide says will “accelerate economic growth and transform regional connectivity.”
The new hub—planned in Bishoftu, about 40 kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa—marks the latest in a string of high-stakes infrastructure moves by one of the continent’s fastest-growing economies. Ethiopian Airlines, already Africa’s most profitable carrier, is betting that the facility will vault it into the ranks of global aviation leaders while feeding the country’s broader economic reforms.
Building a Continental Gateway
Ethiopian Airlines has outgrown Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport, whose passenger traffic has expanded by double digits annually for much of the past decade. The new complex is designed to handle tens of millions of passengers a year, rivaling major Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai and Doha.
Ahmed Shide told investors and diplomats at the launch that the project “goes beyond the construction of a transportation hub. It is about ensuring our national carrier remains globally competitive and about positioning Ethiopia as a key gateway linking Africa to the Middle East, Asia and Europe.”
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