Ethiopian Airlines unveiled a new terminal at Bole International Airport, pushing the airport’s capacity to 22 million passengers annually. The new terminal makes it the largest gateway to Africa. The airport is now also the biggest in Africa, reflecting the success of its anchor user, Ethiopian Airlines.
“I am very pleased to witness the realization of a brand-new terminal at our Hub. While Addis Ababa Bole International Airport has overtaken Dubai to become the largest gateway to Africa last year, the new terminal will play a key role in cementing that position, said Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam.
The new terminal puts biosafety and biosecurity in mind, equipped with 60 check-in counters, 30 self-check-in kiosks and ten self bag-drop services, which will help make the airport more contactless, especially during the pandemic. The airport terminal also has 16 immigration counters and 16 central screening areas for departing passengers. It also has three contact gates for wide-body aircraft and ten others for passengers, equipped with moving walkways, panoramic lifts, and escalators.
Ethiopian Airlines’s Vision 2025
The expansion is part of the Ethiopian Airlines Vision 2025, a 15-year growth plan to cement the airline’s position as Africa’s leading Carrier. Aviation infrastructure is a crucial pillar of the vision, evident in the airline’s continuous investment in expanding its facility. In 2017, the airlines started works which developed the airport’s Terminal 2.
Ultimately, the airline targets to expand Bole International Airport to a mega airport, with a capacity of 100 million passengers.
Other pillars in the airlines’ Vision 2025 include securing the right fleet, human resource development, and systems.
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