Addis Ababa New Airport Set To Open In 2029
Intro
Having just come back from Africa not too long ago, I saw firsthand the growth in the aviation industry in comparison to 15 years ago. With that being said, Africa needs a large airport to filter passengers. With the largest airline being Ethiopian Airlines, the plan is to build the largest airport in Africa by 2029.
Let's get into it!
100 Million
100 million is the estimate of how many passengers will be able to travel through the airport in a single year. To put this in perspective, the current airport in Dubai (DXB), filters 100 million passengers through it yearly (expansion coming soon).
Plans had come to light back in 2018, but through the pandemic, all airlines had to reduce costs instead of spending billions of dollars 😒.
Recently, I transited Addis Ababa, and it was a hot mess. I would estimate that about 70-80% of arriving planes park at remote gates, which is ridiculous. Lines are backed up everywhere you go due to the small airport. Addis Ababa is in desperate need of a new airport.
What Can We Expect
Here are a couple of details of the new airport that we know:
The Dubai-based firm Sidara has been given the rights to design the airport.
The new airport will be located in Bishoftu, which is about 30 miles away from downtown Addis Ababa. Ethiopian Airlines will most likely provide transport to the city for a modest fee, my guess.
The first phase alone will cost 6 billion. However, there is no sign as to when this airport will be able to first accommodate passengers.
The new airport will have four runways and around 270 parking spots. I would like to see more of these become gates and not remote stands, as deplaning multiple 777s at the same time on steps is a nightmare.
Final Thoughts
The Ethiopian government has finalized plans to open up a new airport in Addis Ababa with four runways, a capacity of 100 million passengers annually, and around 270 parking spots. With the help of Sidara, a Dubai-based company, expect this airport to open around 2029.
Do remember two things: firstly, aviation timelines are rarely right. Secondly, even if Africa is my favorite continent, things can move a bit slowly at times😂 (which is similar to Caribbean time😂). All love though!
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