Ethiopian Airlines and AfDB reportedly ink deal to build Africa's largest airport

Ethiopian Airlines has signed an agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to develop Africa’s largest airport in Ethiopia.

Local media has reported that Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, and Nnenna Nwabufo, vice president for regional development, integration, and strategy at AfDB, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), regarding the new airport.

The Bishoftu International Airport is a $7.8bn project, which will aim to drastically scale Ethiopia’s aviation capacity to handle 60 million passengers annually by 2040, up from the current 17 million.

Tasew also urged the bank to support Ethiopia’s ongoing macroeconomic reform program and transformative projects in renewable energy and regional integration, the local media added.

Ethiopian Airlines also said that it will add one 737-800 aircraft to its fleet, dedicated exclusively to VIP and charter flights. The airline said this new offering underscores a commitment to serving Africa's investors and business communities.