Ethiopian Airlines has started construction at a $12.5 billion international airport in Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa. The airport will be Africa’s largest when completed in 2030.
The project includes four runways, parking capacity for 270 aircraft and infrastructure designed to handle up to 110 million passengers per year – more than four times the capacity of Ethiopia’s current operational airport.
The project was initially estimated at $10 billion but was later revised upward. Ethiopian Airlines will finance 30% of the project, with the remainder funded by international lenders. The company has already allocated $610 million for earthworks, which are expected to be completed within one year. Main construction contractors are scheduled to begin work in August 2026.
Multilateral financial institution the African Development Bank has committed $500 million to the project and is leading efforts to raise $8.7 billion from additional creditors. Lenders from the Middle East, Europe, China and the United States have already expressed interest in financing the airport.