ETHIOPIAN Airlines has signed a landmark agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to develop Africa’s largest airport—the Bishoftu International Airport in Ethiopia.
The $7.8 billion project aims to dramatically scale up Ethiopia’s aviation capacity, to handle 60 million passengers annually by 2040, up from the current 17 million.
CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, Mr Mesfin Tasew, and Vice President for Regional Development, Integration, and Strategy at AfDB, Mrs Nnenna Nwabufo, signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU).
The new airport will be constructed in Abusera, near Bishoftu, in Ethiopia’s Oromia region.
Ethiopia’s Finance Minister Ahmed Shide welcomed the deal, highlighting the AfDB’s broader financial support, which includes $1.2 billion in investments toward key development initiatives.
Meanwhile, the country is also set to officially inaugurate the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in the coming months, marking the near completion of Africa’s largest hydropower project.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali (PhD) confirmed to the Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives that the GERD will be inaugurated within the next six months. 
The dam, which began construction 15 years ago under former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, is now in its final phase.
The Prime Minister also addressed ongoing diplomatic engagements with Egypt regarding the project. He stated that Ethiopia has presented multiple proposals and remains open to further dialogue to address any concerns about the dam’s construction and operation. Discussions have included high-level talks with Egypt’s Ministry of Security.
Currently, the GERD is 97.6% complete, with only finishing touches remaining, according to the Grand Ethiopian Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Project Coordination Office. The dam, initially projected to cost 80 billion birr ($4.5 billion), has so far required an investment of over 180 billion birr. An additional 80 billion birr is expected to be needed to finalize construction.
Eighteen-Eleven Media