Ethiopian Airlines Group has awarded a contract for consultancy services to develop a ‘Mega Airport City’, forty kilometers south of its main hub Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
The carrier signed the contract with a consortium led by Dar Al-Handasah Consultants to embark on design and supervision of Ethiopia’s new international project at Abusera in Bishoftu City.
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Upon completion, the airport is projected to have the capacity to serve 110 million passengers each year – four times the capacity of Bole International Airport.
Ethiopian Airlines’ Group CEO Mesfin Tasew announced the Mega Airport City project, highlighting its role in establishing Ethiopia as a global aviation hub.
“The project will not only enhance connectivity but also drive economic growth and prioritize environmentally responsible practices in our country and beyond,” Group CEO said.
The new airport will also mark “a significant advancement for the region’s air travel infrastructure,” he added.
The Mega Airport City will be completed in two phases.
In its first phase scheduled for 2029, the new airport will have capacity for 60 million passengers annually – almost three times the number of passengers registered in Africa’s busiest airport in 2022.
Ultimately, the new airport will host 110 million passengers a year – quadrupling the capacity of Bole International Airport.
To deliver this new project, Ethiopian Airlines awarded a technical advisory and consultancy contract to a consortium of architecture, engineering, and project management firms led by Da Dar Al-Handasah.
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Dar’s partners include the world-renowned signature architects Zaha Hadid Architects with a track record of iconic airport projects, such as China’s Beijing Daxing International Airport,and Australia’s Western Sydney International Airport.
The consortium is also complemented by the airport interior designer Pascall+Watson Architects as well as Dar’s sister Sidara companies Landrum&Brown and TYLin.
“We are privileged to be collaborating with Ethiopian Airlines on this visionary new airport,” said Dar’s Director of Operations in Ethiopia Tariq Al-Qanni.
The director said it “will provide vital global air connectivity, accelerate economic growth in Ethiopia, and elevate Ethiopian Airlines into Africa’s most strategic and most competitive aviation group.”
The new airport will feature a 1.1 million sqm terminal including passenger facilities, 126,190 sqm of airline support facilities, and over 100,000 sqm of cargo and airport support facilities.
It will also include an associated airfield and other essential airport infrastructure.
Per the airlines, the architectural team will incorporate elements of Ethiopian heritage to establish a new emblematic structure for the nation – a people-centric, intuitive airport characterized by sustainability, resilience, and future-readiness.
“With its exceptional capacity and world-class facilities, this new airport promises to elevate African aviation and strengthen partnerships,” Group CEO Mesfin said.
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The project is expected to offer a solution to the unique operational challenge that the Airline’s current primary hub in Addis Ababa, situated at one of the world’s most elevated locations, presents for aircraft.
The new airport’s much lower altitude above sea-level will greatly increase aircraft take-off performance. This will enable Ethiopian to take full advantage of its modern fleet of over 145 aircraft to carry more passengers and cargo to more global destinations on longer-range flights using significantly less fuel.
The project was announced a few weeks after the airlines posted record $7.0 billion US dollar in annual revenue. Ethiopian Airlines transported 17.1 million passengers and more than 754,680 tonnes of cargo during the June-ended 2023/24 fiscal year.
