Source: AFP
Ethiopian Airlines has signed a deal to design a new $6 billion airport billed as the largest in Africa, state media reported.
The new hub will be able to serve 100 million passengers a year after it is completed in five years, Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew told a news conference on Friday.
He said Ethiopian Airlines has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai-based consultancy Dar to develop the design for the airport, which will have four runways.
It will be built in Bishoftu, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, and will cover 35 square kilometers (13.5 square miles), he said.
“The first phase includes the construction of the airport facility with a capacity of 60 million passengers per year and the completion of the second phase of the airport project will carry more than 100 million passengers per year,” said Mesfin, a subsidiary of Fana Broadcasting Corporate.
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Director of Operations Dar Tariq Al-Qanni, who was at the press conference, said it would be the largest airport in Africa once completed, Fana reported.
“The object of the agreement is for Dar to develop the detailed design of the new airport and at the same time assist Ethiopian Airlines in the selection of contractors to build the new airport facilities,” Mesfin added.
Ethiopian Airlines is Africa’s largest, having last month reported revenue of $7 billion for the 2023/24 financial year, carrying 17.1 million passengers.
Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, currently the airline’s hub, has a maximum capacity of 25 million passengers per year.
Source: AFP
