Ethiopia Unfolds Plans To Build New
Terminal
The Director of Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, Colonel
Wossenyeleh Hunegnaw, discloses that Ethiopian Airport Enterprise
is conducting a study to build a new international airport to cater
for the growth of Bole International Airport. He adds that Bole
International Airport is currently serving more than 150 flights
daily with Ethiopian Airlines accounting for more than 60
departures a day while the numbers of international carriers
operating in and out of the airport have also increased to 13,
thus, raising the need for a new terminal.
Ethiopia plans to construct the new international airport
between Meki and Modjo roads. The expansion project launched at
Bole Airport was intended to handle air traffic growth until 2017,
but the airport reached the projected numbers in 2010, which
warranted the Airport Enterprise to consider a new airport.
A senior official of the Enterprise reveals that EAE was
initially scouting a location 30 kilometers outside of the capital
city near Dukem, before deciding on conducting a study on the
current location instead. He adds that a team of experts are
already in the process of undertaking a feasibility study.
Meanwhile, it says it has informed the Ethiopian Roads Authority
of plans to build a new airport to enable them undertake the
development of a new road network between the airport and Addis
Ababa. The roads authority is expected to submit the plan for
approval in 2013.