With a $12.5 billion budget for the project, Ethiopia plans to be home to Africa’s largest airport within the next five years.
Bishoftu International Airport (BIA) will be located in Bishoftu, around 25 miles away from Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. According to Zaha Hadid Architects, the firm behind the behemoth endeavor, the site will be majorly outfitted to accommodate layovers. It claims up to 80% of travelers at the flight hub will be “transitioning between destinations without leaving the airport.” Moreover, upon full completion, BIA will have four runways and “serve up to 110 million passengers annually.”
The source also reports that BIA will have a 350-room airside hotel, entertainment corners, and a variety of dining options. There will also be designated outdoor spaces for travelers to enjoy.
Plans for the overall site draw inspiration from Ethiopia’s regional diversity and its portion of the Great Rift Valley. Architects additionally plan for BIA to have the storage capacity for 270 parked planes.
The forthcoming airport will become the new home of Ethiopian Airlines, the largest carrier in Africa, which is currently based at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD). The latter currently serves as a major international hub, ranking as the continent’s third-busiest airport. According to CNN, Ethiopian Airlines is significantly backing BIA, as CEO Mesfin Tasew said the carrier is investing “30% of its equity.” Billions of additional funding are anticipated to come from international sources. An estimated $350 million from Ethiopian Airlines is reportedly being used to resettle a population of 15,000 who are being displaced by BIA’s construction.
What Else Is There To Know About Bishoftu International Airport?
Construction on the historic flight hub kicked off following a groundbreaking ceremony in early January 2026. The target completion date, following the site’s multi-phase construction, is sometime in 2030.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Georgia, United States) served 106.3 million passengers in 2025. With that in mind, BIA’s finished size will be able to accommodate more passengers annually than the Atlanta flight hub, which is currently the world’s busiest airport.
“Bishoftu International Airport will be the largest aviation infrastructure project in Africa’s history, more than four times the capacity of Ethiopia’s current main airport, which will reach its limits on existing traffic in the next two to three years,” stated Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali regarding the project.
