UK studio Zaha Hadid Architects has begun construction of the new airport in the city of Bishoftu, Ethiopia, which is being billed as the largest aviation infrastructure project in Africa’s history. Named Bishoftu International Airport (BIA), the terminal is being built 40 kilometres south of the capital Addis Ababa and is hoped to become Africa’s global aviation hub. A 38 km high-speed railway will also be constructed, plus a multi-lane motorway linking the airport to Addis Ababa.BIA’s first phase is scheduled to open in 2030, operated by the carrier Ethiopian Airlines.
This phase will comprise a 660,000-square-metre terminal and two runways that serve 60 million passengers annually. This number is expected to increase to 110 million passengers once the airport is completed with four runways and parking for 270 aircraft.
Bishoftu International Airport will be the largest aviation infrastructure project in Africa’s history, more than four times the capacity of Ethiopia’s current main airport, which will reach its limits on existing traffic in the next two to three years.
The terminal plan will be organised around a central spine, modelled on the Great Rift Valley that extends from the Middle East to East Africa. This spine is hoped to optimise circulation while minimising transfer distances, with 80 percent of passengers forecasted to transit without leaving the airport. Travellers can visit nearby attractions such as Bishoftu Lake and Hora Lake, Kuriftu Water Park & Resort and Mount Zuqualla.