On January 10, 2026, a mega project that will completely change the aviation landscape in Africa - Ethiopia's Bishovtu International Airport - officially began construction. The largest aviation hub in Africa in this plan is a core project of Ethiopia's national development strategy, aimed at consolidating its position as the main air transportation gateway in Africa. The deep participation of Chinese enterprises such as China Communications Construction, China Road and Bridge Corporation, and Beijing Urban Construction in the construction marks a new level of cooperation between China and Egypt in the field of large-scale infrastructure.

Cracking the bottleneck of transportation capacity

The project is located in Oromia Region, Ethiopia, about 40 kilometers south of the capital city of Addis Ababa. Its construction directly responds to the urgent needs brought about by the rapid growth of the Ethiopian aviation industry. As a leading airline in Africa, the rapid development of Ethiopian Airlines has led to the saturation of capacity at its main base, Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.

Bischovtu International Airport will be constructed in stages. Among them, the first phase of the project is expected to be put into operation in 4 years, that is, in 2030. At that time, the annual passenger throughput capacity of the airport will reach 60 million, far exceeding the current level, which will greatly alleviate the current situation of tight transportation capacity. The long-term overall plan of the airport is even more ambitious, with a designed annual throughput capacity of 110 million passengers. After completion, it will not only become the number one airport in Africa, but also have the potential to become one of the airports with the largest passenger volume in the world.

Drive regional development

The construction of Bischovtu International Airport has significance far beyond just a transportation facility itself. Firstly, it will provide Ethiopian Airlines with a world-class operational base, significantly enhancing its competitiveness and radiation capabilities in the global route network, and enabling Ethiopia to occupy a more central position in the air corridor connecting Africa internally and with other regions of the world.

Secondly, the project itself is a powerful economic engine. During the construction period, a large number of jobs will be created, and the airport and its supporting infrastructure such as highways and high-speed railways will activate the economic potential of the areas along the route, which is expected to give birth to an aviation city that integrates logistics, commerce, and trade. This will not only promote Ethiopia's foreign trade, especially the air export of high value-added agricultural products such as flowers, but also effectively attract foreign investment and promote the country's industrialization and economic diversification process. Keywords: the Belt and Road news, international information, airport projects

The construction of this airport marks Ethiopia's forward-looking vision to shape its future through strategic infrastructure investment. It not only carries a country's aviation dream, but also lays a new runway for the connectivity and economic development of the entire African continent.Editor/Cheng Liting