Ethiopia on Saturday started building what the Prime Minister says will be Africa鈥檚 biggest airport when completed in the town of Bishoftu, southeast of the capital Addis Ababa.
The massive travel hub is expected to cost around US$12.7 billion ($22b) and eventually be able to handle some 110 million passengers a year at full capacity. Construction is expected to take five years.
Partly financed by national carrier Ethiopian Airlines, the Bishoftu hub is expected to replace the capital鈥檚 Bole Airport, which can handle up to 25 million passengers annually.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Saturday announced construction of 鈥渢he largest aviation infrastructure project in Africa鈥檚 history鈥 had begun.
鈥淭his multi-airport strategy aims to future-proof Ethiopia鈥檚 role as Africa鈥檚 leading air transport gateway,鈥 he said in a post on X.
He added the project will strengthen Ethiopian Airlines鈥 global competitiveness, enhance African connectivity, expand trade and tourism corridors and position Ethiopia as a major intercontinental hub.
The project includes a multi-lane motorway to link the new facility to the capital and a 38km, high-speed railway, which Abiy said would reach speeds of up to 200km/h.
The African Development Bank has earmarked US$500 million towards the project and Ethiopian authorities are in talks to raise further tranches with the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank and the US Development Finance Corporation.
Ethiopia hopes to attract foreign tourism despite the ongoing armed conflict in its two most populous regions 鈥 Amhara and Oromia 鈥 with Bishoftu located in the latter.
The future airport, which will sit on a 35sq km site, has already resulted in the displacement of 2500 farmers, who were rehoused last year at a cost of US$350m, Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Mesfin Tasew Bekele said in November.
Ethiopia, Africa鈥檚 second-most populous country with some 130 million inhabitants, has launched major infrastructure projects in recent years.
It officially inaugurated the continent鈥檚 largest dam last year and extensive urban renewal projects are underway in Addis Ababa and other major cities.
鈥 Agence France-Presse
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