Ethiopia has begun construction on what it describes as Africa’s largest aviation infrastructure project, a $12.5 billion airport designed to reposition the continent’s air connectivity and reduce reliance on foreign transit hubs.
Work started in January near Bishoftu, about 30 miles southeast of Addis Ababa, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali calling it “the largest aviation infrastructure project in Africa’s history”, according to CNN.
The planned Bishoftu International Airport is due to open in 2030 with two runways and capacity for 60 million passengers annually. Expansion plans target 110 million passengers, exceeding traffic at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which handled 106 million passengers in 2025.
The project is led by state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest airline by fleet, passengers and revenue. Chief executive Mesfin Tasew told CNN the airline will fund about 30 per cent of the project through equity.
That leaves roughly $8 billion yet to be secured. Negotiations are under way with potential partners from the US, China and Italy.
Addis Ababa already functions as a major African aviation hub, but Bole International Airport is nearing capacity and cannot expand further.
The new airport is designed primarily for transfer passengers, positioning Ethiopian Airlines to capture a larger share of intra-African traffic, one of the fastest growing aviation markets globally.
The project also targets cargo growth. Planned infrastructure would handle up to 3.73 million tonnes annually, supporting trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
African airlines are recording freight demand growth of 15 to 16 per cent year on year, well above the global average of 5.5 per cent. However, he warned that the airport’s success will depend on supporting infrastructure, including roads, rail links, power supply and customs efficiency.
The terminal is being designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, known for projects such as Beijing Daxing Airport. The Bishoftu design draws on Ethiopia’s Great Rift Valley, with a central spine and branching piers intended to reflect the country’s landscapes.
Architect Cristiano Ceccato told CNN the design aims to give transit passengers “a feeling of what Ethiopia’s like”, incorporating semi-open spaces suited to the local climate.
Sustainability features include solar energy, locally sourced materials and water systems feeding on-site wetlands. Even so, aviation continues to account for around 2 to 3 per cent of global carbon emissions.
The project has also drawn criticism over displacement. More than 15,000 people have reportedly been moved from over 9,000 acres of land, according to CNN.
Ethiopian Airlines says it is allocating $350 million for resettlement, including housing, utilities and social infrastructure. Some residents have told local media they received no compensation, a claim denied by authorities.
Signé told CNN that such grievances are often treated as logistical issues rather than governance challenges, warning that unresolved disputes could delay construction and deter investors.
The Bishoftu project forms part of a broader wave of airport investments across Africa, including developments in Rwanda, Burkina Faso and expansions in Casablanca, Cairo and Nairobi.
Ethiopian Airlines aims to build a hub comparable to those in Dubai or Doha, though Tasew acknowledged that stronger regional cooperation will be required.
At the 2025 Aviation Africa Summit, ministers backed efforts to accelerate the Single African Air Transport Market, a framework designed to liberalise air travel across the continent. Since its launch in 2018, 38 countries have joined and more than 110 new intra-African routes have been created, with studies suggesting traffic could rise by up to 141 per cent and fares fall by as much as 35 per cent.
Yet competitive pressures remain. Smaller airlines fear dominant carriers could capture most of the gains. Christy Tawii of Euromonitor International told CNN that while Ethiopian Airlines remains the market leader, competition is increasing.
The scale of Ethiopia’s airport project underlines growing confidence in Africa’s aviation market. However, analysts say infrastructure alone will not deliver a step change.
Tawii told CNN that the project’s long-term impact will depend on policy execution, including visa liberalisation and full implementation of regional air transport reforms.
For now, the Bishoftu development signals ambition. Whether it delivers a new centre of gravity for African aviation will hinge on financing, execution and the ability to align infrastructure with policy.
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