New Airport to Boost Connectivity, Make Addis Aviation Hub: CEO

Ethiopian Airlines’ new airport will boost its connectivity and promote the capital Addis Ababa to become an aviation and air transport hub, said Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tassew.

Recall that Ethiopian Airlines Group has inked a technical advisory and consultancy contract with Dar Al-Handasah Consultants (Shair and Partners), a partner with the world-renowned signature architects Zaha Hadid Architects, to embark on the design and supervision of a Mega Airport City at Abusera in Bishoftu city.

This state-of-the-art airport city, located just 40km from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, is poised to revolutionize air travel in Ethiopia.

Upon completion, the new airport is projected to have the capacity to serve 110 million passengers each year, which is four times the current capacity of Bole International Airport.

With its exceptional capacity and world-class facilities, this new airport promises to elevate African aviation and strengthen partnerships, marking a significant advancement for the region’s air travel infrastructure”.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tassew said that the primary objective is not to get recognition to promote air transport in Africa and to make Addis Ababa the hub of passenger and cargo transport.

It will also help Ethiopian enhance its activities and operation and there by promote its business, he added.

“Construction of this airport will help us to provide better connectivity for our passengers who transit through Addis Ababa and it will also help us to enhance connectivity within Africa in line with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. So it will boost air transport in Africa and Ethiopia,” emphasized the CEO.

Ethiopian is the leading airline in Africa today, Mesfin stated, and noted “we want to maintain our leadership by enhancing our air transport service in Africa and partnering with African airlines as well.”

Furthermore, he pointed out that Ethiopian is always working improve and enhance its customer service and experience both on ground and air.

“Ethiopian airlines today flies to 139 cities around the world; these are international destinations and we want to enhance that to 207 by 2035. Meaning we have to add new destinations every year until we reach there. By doing that we want to enhance our reach and connectivity using Addis Ababa as a hub,” he elaborated.

Mesfin affirmed Ethiopian airlines unparalleled commitment to serve its customers with enhanced services.

Ethiopian, which is one of the fastest-growing airlines brand globally, has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success.

Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet.

The Airlines is committed to achieving annual revenue of 25 billion USD and transporting approximately 67 million passengers by 2035. To support this goal, the airline is investing in new aircraft and expanding its international network.