Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia has given a green light to the Ethiopian Airports Admiration to proceed with the new giant international airport construction project planned to be built around Modjo town.
A senior official at the Ethiopian Airport Enterprise told me that the officials of the enterprise and the Ministry of Transport briefed Hailemariam about the planned grand airport project. “The prime minister gave us the green,” the official said.
The Ministry of Transport will present the project proposal to the Council of Ministers for endorsement. After the project is endorsed by the Council of Ministers it will be remanded to the House of Peoples Representatives. The enterprise plans to secure loan for the project from the China EXIM Bank. “Once it is endorsed by the Parliament it will be on the list of projects that seek funding from the China EXIM Bank,” the official said.
The enterprise was conducting a study on the establishment of a new international airport for the past couple of years. When the major expansion project of the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport was drafted in the early 1990s it was assumed that the airport will accommodate air traffic until 2017. However, the airport has reached its maximum capacity in 2010. Hence, the construction of a new international airport seems inevitable.
Previously the enterprise was conducting a study on a location near Dukem town, some 30 kms east of Addis Ababa. However, this was revoked and the enterprise is now contemplating to build the new international airport between Modjo and Meki towns on Hawassa road. An independent aviation expert told me that the new location is chosen because of its low latitude. “As the altitude decreases aircraft’s fuel consumption decreases especially during take-off. At lower altitudes aircraft take off load increases,” the expert said. “Modjo is an ideal location.”
Addis Ababa is known for its high altitude. Aircraft engines operate under stress and consume more fuel especially during take-off. That is the reason why aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus choose Addis Ababa Bole International Airport for conducting taste flights.
An official of the enterprise said once the construction of the new airport is completed, the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport will be used for regional flights, VIP flights and for those who are involved in general aviation services (private airlines that provide none scheduled flights). The new airport would accommodate long haul international flights.
The Addis Ababa Bole International Airport currently accommodates more than 150 flights per day. Ethiopian Airlines is buying new aircraft. Currently, Ethiopian has more than 60 departures per day. The national flag carrier increased the number of jetliners from 10 to 40 in the past 15 years. It plans to further increase this number to 115 by 2025. Foreign carriers that are operating to Addis Ababa has reached 13. “All these facts prompted the need to build a new international airport,” the official said.
Related development the enterprise is to expand the existing passenger terminal at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The enterprise has undertaken two expansion projects at the airport. In the first expansion project it built an apron which accommodates 24 aircraft. Currently it is undertaking the second expansion project-the construction of apron which accommodates 14 aircraft.