U.S. Backs $10B Ethiopian Airport Project to Boost Regional Aviation Hub

The United States has pledged significant support for the construction of Bishoftu International Airport in Ethiopia, a landmark $10 billion project aimed at transforming the Horn of Africa’s aviation landscape.

Announced by U.S. Senior Advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, during a recent visit to Ethiopia ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, this marks President Donald Trump’s first major business initiative in the region. Located 40 kilometers south of Addis Ababa, the new airport will relieve congestion at Bole International Airport, which will continue handling domestic flights. Bishoftu International Airport will serve international passengers and cargo, with Phase I designed to accommodate 60 million passengers annually and future expansions targeting 110 million passengers and 3.73 million tonnes of cargo. Completion is scheduled for November 2029.

The project, covering 34 square kilometers, includes an integrated airport city featuring hotels, shopping centers, and recreational facilities, reinforcing Ethiopian Airlines’ position as Africa’s largest carrier and Ethiopia’s status as a regional aviation hub. Financing support comes from multiple partners, including the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), Boeing, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and Ethiopian Airlines itself, which will contribute 20% of the project cost. The AfDB has committed up to $7.8 billion, with an initial $500 million allocation pending approval.

The airport will become Africa’s largest and most expensive aviation project, surpassing Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport and rivaling Cape Town International Airport in scale and capacity. Ethiopian Airlines’ record-breaking order of 124 aircraft from Boeing further signals the airline’s ambitious expansion aligned with this new infrastructure.