Ethiopian Airlines has inked a deal to design a new $6 billion airport, which state media describes as the largest in Africa.

The new hub is expected to accommodate 100 million passengers annually upon its completion in five years, according to Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew, who made the announcement at a press conference on Friday.

Tasew revealed that Ethiopian Airlines signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai-based consulting firm Dar to develop the airport’s design, which will feature four runways.

The airport will be located in Bishoftu, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of the capital, Addis Ababa, and will cover an area of 35 square kilometers (13.5 square miles).

"The first phase includes the construction of the airport facility with a capacity of 60 million passengers per year and the completion of phase two of the airport project will grow to handling more than 100 million passengers per year," Mesfin said, according to the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporation.

Largest airport in Africa

Tariq Al-Qanni, Dar's director of operations, stated at the press conference that the airport would be the largest in Africa once completed, according to Fana.
 
"The scope of the agreement is for Dar to develop the detailed design of the new airport and at the same time to assist Ethiopian Airlines in the selection of the contractors who will build the new airport facilities," Mesfin stressed. 

Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest carrier, reported $7 billion in revenue for its 2023/24 financial year last month, having transported 17.1 million passengers.

Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, the airline's current hub, has a maximum annual capacity of 25 million passengers.

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