Ethiopian Airlines plans new mega airport in Oromia region

Ethiopian Airlines plans to build a new airport with annual capacity of 80 million passengers in Bishoftu, about 48km southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, state-affiliated media said on Tuesday.

Fana Broadcasting Corporation quoted Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam saying that consultation was under way with the Oromia regional state to acquire the land needed for the airport and an accompanying hotel.

Ethiopia’s main airport, the Bole International Airport, is one of the busiest across Africa given that it connects thousands of passengers that travel on the national carrier, Ethiopian.

The airline is the continent’s biggest and fastest growing in the area of passengers and freight. It continues to expand its routes across the globe in a mark of consolidation.

The airline also feeds a booming hotel industry in and around Addis Ababa. On a daily basis hundreds of travellers are sheltered in hotels as they arrive on transit in the capital Addis Ababa.