Ethiopia on Saturday officially began construction of a new international airport in the city of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, in a bid to become Africa’s largest. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Saturday the start of construction of the project, describing it as “the biggest infrastructure project in Africa’s aviation history”. In a message posted via X, he said the multi-airport strategy aims to position Ethiopia as Africa’s leading air transport gateway in the future. The mega airport project will include a multi-lane motorway connecting the new airport to the capital, as well as a 38-kilometer-long high-speed railway. With a population of about 130 million, Ethiopia is Africa’s second most populous country.

Source: Ethiopian News January 11, 2026 08:10 UTC