Africa’s brand new four runway airport will be continent’s largest and cost £9.1bn | World | News
A massive international airport being built in East Africa is set to be the largest on the continent. Bishoftu International Airport (BIA) is a massive transportation infrastructure project under construction near the town of Bishoftu, Ethiopia.
Located about 40 kilometers from the capital Addis Ababa, the project was launched in part to relieve pressure on the nearby Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, which has already been expanded, and also to significantly increase the country’s tourism opportunities. Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) is leading the design of the expansive project. State-owned Ethiopian Airlines is responsible for about 30% of the financing, with the remainder provided by international lenders.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed toured the site with his office on Monday, June 15, and said the facility was taking shape thanks to 24-hour construction work, according to state-run Fana Media Corporation.
The new travel center is planned to be built in phases. The first goal is to host 60 million passengers annually by 2030. This alone will put BIA well ahead of rival airports in Africa in terms of annual passenger capacity.
OR Tambo International Airport, located in Johannesburg, South Africa, is often described as among the largest airports in Africa, serving approximately 28 million passengers annually.
Cairo International Airport (CAI) is also among the continent’s largest and busiest flight hubs, handling approximately 26 million passengers annually.
The African Development Bank (AfDB), one of the major lenders involved in the project, said the goal was to “scale up to 110 million with full development in later stages.” The plan is to eventually have four runways.
The official groundbreaking ceremony, which marked the beginning of pre-construction work, took place on January 10. Reuters, which reported on the event at the time, reported that the project was initially determined to cost a total of $10 billion (about £7.4 billion), but the estimate at the time was $12.5 billion (about £9.1 billion).
Qatar Civil Aviation Authority suggested at the time that the figure could be as much as $12.7bn (£9.2bn).
The airport will also be connected to both the capital and Bole International Airport via a 38 km (23.6 mi) railway. Railway Gazette reports.
Earlier reports suggested it could include the construction of runways and terminals, as well as hotels, shopping malls and commercial complex buildings.
The first phase is planned to be completed at the end of 10 years.
