Ethiopia: Airbus Projects Sixfold Growth in Ethiopia’s Air Passenger Traffic Over Next 20 Years

Addis Ababa — Airbus has forecast a sixfold rise in Ethiopia’s air passenger traffic over the next 20 years, saying Ethiopian Airlines is well placed to turn Addis Ababa into one of Africa’s leading aviation hubs.

It cited Ethiopian Airlines’ expanding network, growing demand and planned airport infrastructure as key factors positioning Addis Ababa to become a leading aviation hub in Africa

Airbus Vice President for Market Analysis and Forecast Antonio Da Costa told ENA that Ethiopia has strong growth potential, with Ethiopian Airlines well positioned to capitalize on rising passenger numbers and expanding regional and international connectivity.

“We’re obviously extremely proud to be a partner of Ethiopian Airlines,” Da Costa said. “Ethiopian Airlines are our first A350 customer in Africa and have been a great customer of the 350 over the last 10 years.”

Da Costa said the airline’s established network, fleet capabilities and hub strategy would help it accommodate the projected increase in passenger traffic.

“We obviously see a very good and strong potential of growth in Ethiopia with over six times more passengers coming over the next 20 years,” he said. “So we believe that Ethiopian Airlines is well placed to cover and to take advantage of that growth.”

Airbus also projects that African air traffic will triple over the same period, creating opportunities for airlines and airports to expand capacity and strengthen connections across the continent and beyond.

Da Costa said Addis Ababa’s role in African aviation would become increasingly significant as Ethiopia develops its planned airport infrastructure, including the new airport project in Bishoftu.

Ethiopia has described the Bishoftu airport project as the largest aviation infrastructure undertaking in Africa’s history. Upon completion and full operation, the airport is expected to accommodate up to 110 million passengers annually and serve as Ethiopian Airlines’ principal operating base.

“We expect that Addis Ababa and with the new airport to become more and more a central hub for the traffic in Africa,” Da Costa said. “We expect that growth of trans-African traffic for the Ethiopian coverage will be increasing by about six times over the next 20 years.”

Ethiopian Airlines became the first African operator of the Airbus A350 in 2016 and subsequently became the first African customer for the larger A350-1000, strengthening its position in the continent’s long-haul aviation market.

Da Costa described Ethiopian Airlines as a historic African carrier and reaffirmed Airbus’s commitment to supporting its expansion with modern, fuel-efficient aircraft suited to its growing operational needs.

“As we want to continue to grow with new aircraft, better aircraft, we’re always open to hear from Ethiopian Airlines what their needs are,” he said. “We will do our utmost to make sure that we can provide the best aircraft to serve the growing needs of the airline.”

He noted that connecting passengers account for nearly two-thirds of Ethiopian Airlines’ traffic, highlighting Addis Ababa’s importance as a transfer point linking destinations across Africa with Europe, Asia, the Americas and other international markets.

“We’re delighted that we have aircraft like the A350 that is capable of connecting Addis Ababa to effectively the whole world,” Da Costa said. “By doing so, we believe that we’re providing Ethiopian Airlines with the right tools to continue this strong growth.”

He added that Airbus would continue working with Ethiopian Airlines to provide aircraft, technical support and operational solutions to help the carrier expand efficiently and sustainably as demand for air travel increases.

The projected growth would further strengthen Ethiopia’s ambitions to consolidate its position as a major gateway for African aviation, while the planned airport infrastructure is expected to provide additional capacity to support the airline’s long-term expansion.

By ENA.