Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed together with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, and senior government officials on Sunday (January 27) officially inaugurated the Ethiopian Airlines’ (Ethiopian) state-of-the-art Addis Ababa Bole International Airport Terminal Expansion and the airlines’ 5-star Skylight Hotel, the largest in Ethiopia. The new terminal, funded and built by China for $363 million, triples the airport’s size, and raises the airline’s passenger handling capacity to 22 million passengers a year from its current 7 million. It includes the latest technology security systems, self-check-in machines, self-boarding system, lounges, duty-free shops and other amenities as well as improved baggage handling.
Inaugurating the Passenger Terminal, Prime Minister Abiy emphasized: “Ethiopian Airlines is our national pride and a special icon among our companies as it carries our common name Ethiopia and our national flag. We would like all employees of the airline here and elsewhere to know that we speak of you with pride.” He went on: “The new hotel Ethiopian Airlines inaugurated today will enable us to attract tourists, and the airline’s offer for employees to own shares of the hotel is important as it boosts sense of ownership among staff, and will serve as a model for other companies to emulate.” He said there was still a lot of work ahead, adding, “We expect the Board and the Management not to be complacent with the new terminal, but rather to aim for a bigger facility with a capacity to accommodate at least 100 million passengers.” The Prime Minister advised Ethiopia Airlines management to establish the best aviation university in the continent, expanding on its current aviation academy.
Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde Gebre-Mariam said that the expansion project would further boost Ethiopia’s flag carrier’s share in Africa’s aviation sector. He said: “This grand terminal building is further evidence of the development of Bole Airport as one of the largest and most convenient global aviation hubs.: He noted that the new hotel would allow the airline to attract tourists, and would serve as a model for other companies to emulate.
The Prime Minister also visited Ethiopian’s Aviation Academy, certified by the International Civil Aviation Organization as a Regional Training Center of Excellence; the maintenance and aerospace manufacturing site; the cargo and logistics center as well as the simulation training site where operators demonstrated the A350-900 simulator. Ethiopian Cargo has the capacity to store up to 1,000,000 tonnes of dry and perishable goods.
Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the flag carrier of Ethiopia. For over seventy years, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in Africa for efficiency and operational success, turning a profit for almost all its existence. It commands a lion’s share of the pan-African air network including daily and twice daily east-west flights across the continent. It currently operates 111 planes and currently flies to more than 119 international passenger and cargo destinations, over 61 of these in Africa. It has secondary hubs in Togo and Malawi, and has resuscitated non-operational airlines, as well as collaborating with airlines in Chad and Mozambique. It is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan, Vision 2025, to make it the leading aviation group in Africa with six business centers: Ethiopian International Services; Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services; Ethiopian MRO Services; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian ADD Hub Ground Services and Ethiopian Airports Services. The plan includes improving its cargo transport, airport services, and further expanding its aviation school and passenger handling.
