Wardheer reports Ethiopian Airlines design deal for Africa's biggest airport

On 9 August 2024, Wardheer News reported that Ethiopian Airlines had signed an agreement for the design of a new four-runway airport that would be Africa's biggest when construction is completed in 2029.

The report, citing Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew, said the airport will be located near the town of Bishoftu, approximately 45 km from the capital Addis Ababa.

Tasew told a news conference that the airport will have capacity to handle 100 million passengers a year and provide parking for 270 aircraft.

Dubai-based engineering and consulting firm Sidara will design the airport, according to Sidara's director of operations Tariq Al Qanni.

Plans to build the airport were first announced in 2018, the report said. Tasew said Bole Addis Ababa International Airport, the current main hub for Africa's biggest airline, will soon reach its capacity of serving 25 million passengers per year.

"It is a five-year project (that) will be finalised in 2029. It will be the biggest in Africa," Tasew said, according to Wardheer News.

Tasew said phase one alone will cost at least $6 billion. He added that the money will come through loans and that there are already companies that have shown interest.

The report stated that Ethiopian Airlines is state-owned. The airline carried 17 million passengers in the 2023/2024 financial year, and expects to carry 20 million passengers in the financial year that started in July, Tasew said.

The Wardheer News report does not establish any details of the design agreement, including its contract value and scope. It also does not provide any information on the current status of the project since the announcement, such as construction progress, permits, or design milestones.

Funding sources and loan arrangements are not identified, and the report does not address environmental, social, or regulatory approvals required for such a project.