{"id":23498,"date":"2026-01-14T19:13:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T19:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/23498\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T19:13:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T19:13:10","slug":"construction-work-starts-on-ethiopias-new-gateway-to-the-world-airport-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/23498\/","title":{"rendered":"Construction work starts on Ethiopia\u2019s new gateway to the world \u2013 Airport World"},"content":{"rendered":"

Construction of what is expected to be Africa\u2019s largest airport has begun in Bishoftu, approximately 40 kilometres south of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.<\/p>\n

Upon opening, the new $12.5 billion Bishoftu International Airport will have the capacity to serve up to 60 million passengers per annum.<\/p>\n

However, further phases will grow its capacity to in excess of 110 million passengers annually, with the airport eventually boasting four runways and parking for 270 aircraft.<\/p>\n

According to the Ethiopian Airlines Group which is bankrolling its construction, the gateway will ensure that Ethiopia is able to meet IATA\u2019s regional growth forecasts for passenger demand.<\/p>\n

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It is also being claimed that the project will optimise Ethiopia\u2019s position at the crossroads of Africa, Asia and the Middle East with a global transportation hub for the 21st century.<\/p>\n

Ethiopia\u2019s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali, who laid the cornerstone at the airport\u2019s groundbreaking ceremony, stated: \u201cBishoftu International Airport will be the largest aviation infrastructure project in Africa\u2019s history, more than four times the capacity of Ethiopia\u2019s current main airport which will reach its limits on existing traffic in the next two to three years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects to meet Ethiopian Airlines\u2019 future passenger demand and operational needs, the airport will become Africa\u2019s global aviation hub, providing facilities of the highest standard with a strong focus on transferring passengers.<\/p>\n

With up to 80% of passengers transiting between destinations without leaving the airport, Bishoftu International Airport will contain \u201cextensive amenities for transiting passengers\u201d that will include a 350-room airside hotel.<\/p>\n

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According to Zaha Hadid Architects, each of the terminal\u2019s piers incorporates a unique interior materiality and colour palette to reflect the diverse regions of Ethiopia.<\/p>\n

Said to be inspired by the Great Rift Valley that passes near Bishoftu as it crosses through the country, a single central spine connects the terminal\u2019s facilities and aircraft piers with the aim of minimising transfer distances and ensuring connecting passengers can easily navigate to their next departure gate.<\/p>\n

Its location almost 400m lower than Addis Ababa\u2019s existing Bole Airport and longer runways should enhance aircraft performance, enabling Ethiopian Airlines to optimise the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of their modern fleet of aircraft.<\/p>\n

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Cristiano Ceccato de Sabata, Zaha Hadid Architects\u2019 director of aviation, said: \u201cBishoftu International Airport is a visionary project for Ethiopia and Africa as a whole. Airports bring people together and bridge national divides.<\/p>\n

\u201cZHA is honoured to be part its development\u2014connecting every region of the continent as Africa\u2019s global gateway\u201d<\/p>\n

Situated within the temperate subtropical highland climate of Ethiopia\u2019s Oromia region, the airport\u2019s passenger terminal is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification.<\/p>\n

It will be naturally ventilated with effective solar shading and will include semi-enclosed spaces and outdoor areas for transferring passengers to enjoy the region\u2019s warm summers and mild winters.<\/p>\n

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Constructed using modular fabrication and assembly to ensure flexibility and cost-effective efficiency, its procurement will incorporate concrete, aggregates and steel that have been produced or recycled locally in Bishoftu.<\/p>\n

Stormwater from the airport\u2019s runways, taxiways and aprons \u2013 as well as the roofs of the passenger terminal and cargo buildings \u2013 will be channelled into new wetlands and bioswales for storage and reuse while also enhancing the airport\u2019s local biodiversity.<\/p>\n

Photovoltaic arrays installed throughout the airport campus will enable on-site energy production. The new airport will also boast landside public parks for local residents and airside gardens for passengers.<\/p>\n

The hugely ambitious project support Ethiopian Airlines\u2019 \u2018Vision 2035\u2019 strategy to become a leading global aviation group offering passenger, cargo, and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) services with a focus on technology and efficiency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Construction of what is expected to be Africa\u2019s largest airport has begun in Bishoftu, approximately 40 kilometres south…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23499,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[65],"class_list":{"0":"post-23498","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ethiopia","8":"tag-ethiopia"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23498"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23498\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}