Bishoftu International Airport Plans Unveiled By Ethiopian Airlines To Boost Travel And Aviation In Africa

Published on September 17, 2025

The unveiling of nan Bishoftu International Airport project has been placed astatine nan halfway of Africa’s evolving tourism and travel landscape. Ethiopian Airlines Group, supported by nan Africa Development Bank (AfDB), Dar Al-Handasah Consultants, and KPMG, hosted a two-day showcase successful Addis Ababa to coming nan airport’s imagination to financiers, contractors, and global tourism stakeholders. The event, held astatine nan Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, was attended by Ethiopia’s Finance Minister Ahmed Shide, airline executives, and representatives from much than 40 institutions.

The showcase was designed not only arsenic a financial briefing but besides arsenic an preamble to a project group to redefine Africa’s entreaty arsenic a tourism and transit hub.

Tourism Potential Anchored successful Aviation Growth

The Bishoftu International Airport has been envisioned arsenic a transformative gateway to Ethiopia and nan wider continent. With capacity planned successful nan tens of millions annually, nan airdrome is being prepared to ease congestion astatine Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport while creating caller opportunities for leisure and business travel.

Travelers are expected to use from accrued connectivity, smoother transit experiences, and a modern facility equipped to grip long-haul flights and regional flights. The strategical positioning of nan airdrome adjacent Bishoftu, a location already known for its scenic Rift Valley lakes and resorts, is projected to heighten Ethiopia’s profile arsenic a dual destination for stopovers and extended visits.

Stakeholder Collaboration arsenic nan Foundation

The project was presented pinch a beardown accent connected collaboration. Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) roles were outlined, while financial models and risk allocation frameworks were shared to pull assurance from investors and institutions. By integrating tourism considerations into nan readying process, nan project is being aligned not only pinch aviation growth but besides pinch Ethiopia’s broader strategy to tie international visitors.

The event’s programme included site visits and detailed presentations, allowing participants to visualize nan project’s scale and imaginable for supporting tourism infrastructure.

Ethiopian Airlines arsenic a Tourism Bridge

Ethiopian Airlines has been wide recognized for connecting Africa to world markets. Operating flights to much than 160 destinations crossed five continents, nan hose has go a captious subordinate successful nan description of some leisure tourism and business tourism. By relying connected a modern fleet that includes Boeing 737s, 777s, 787s, Airbus A350-900s, A350-1000s, and De Havilland Q400s, nan hose has positioned itself arsenic a bearer of prime for travelers seeking comfortableness and efficiency.

The planned Bishoftu Airport is expected to service arsenic a reinforcement of this role, enabling smoother passenger flows and much businesslike cargo services. This dual attraction is intended to fortify nan nexus betwixt tourism growth and trade, placing Ethiopia arsenic a central hub successful nan region’s travel economy.

Building connected an Award-Winning Reputation

The airline’s nickname connected nan global stage has added weight to nan Bishoftu initiative. Awards specified arsenic Skytrax’s Best Airline successful Africa for 8 consecutive years and APEX’s Best Overall successful Africa person reinforced Ethiopian Airlines’ credibility. By anchoring nan caller airport project successful this legacy, nan bearer is signaling to nan tourism industry that world-class standards will beryllium maintained astatine nan caller facility.

This positioning is anticipated to promote greater traveler confidence, peculiarly among international tourists exploring Africa for nan first time.

Vision 2035: Tourism arsenic Part of Strategy

The Bishoftu project has been framed arsenic a cornerstone of Vision 2035, Ethiopian Airlines’ semipermanent roadmap. Within this strategy, tourism has been treated arsenic an basal driver of growth. By aspiring to rank among nan world’s apical 20 aviation groups, nan hose is aiming to leverage accrued passenger flows to fortify Ethiopia’s role arsenic a destination and a transit corridor.

The multi-hub strategy pursued by Ethiopian Airlines is reinforcing this ambition. By building partnerships pinch ASKY successful Lomé, Malawi Airlines successful Lilongwe, Zambia Airways successful Lusaka, and Air Congo successful Kinshasa, a Pan-African tourism circuit is being supported. These hubs are intended to administer tourist flows much evenly crossed nan continent, while Bishoftu is group to service arsenic nan flagship gateway.

A Tourism Gateway successful nan Making

The arena concluded pinch a beardown consciousness of alignment among stakeholders. The project’s structuring considerations were presented not only arsenic financial mechanisms but arsenic enablers of a larger imagination successful which tourism, aviation, and trade converge.

For visitors, nan Bishoftu International Airport has been framed arsenic much than conscionable a transit point. Its proximity to Ethiopia’s earthy landscapes, cultural landmarks, and expanding hospitality sector positions it arsenic a launchpad for deeper travel experiences. For nan tourism industry, nan project signals a early wherever Africa’s aviation infrastructure tin support nan continent’s ambitions to invited greater numbers of international travelers.

By placing nan Bishoftu project astatine nan bosom of its showcase, Ethiopian Airlines has provided a glimpse into a early wherever aviation description and tourism growth move guardant manus successful hand. As construction advances and partnerships deepen, nan airport is expected to guidelines arsenic a landmark not only of Ethiopia’s aviation leadership but besides of Africa’s increasing entreaty arsenic a world recreation destination.

[Source: Ethiopian Airlines; Image Credit: Ethiopian Airlines]