Bole International Airport (ADD/HAAB), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

In 1999, an expansion plan was announced at Bole International Airport (formerly known as Haile Selassie I International Airport, constructed in 1961 and renovated in 1971) at a cost of $130m in order to produce a new super hub for Africa.

This involved the construction of a new 3,800m runway (07R/25L) running parallel to the existing runway (07L/25R, 3,700m), as well as five taxiways (including two with high-speed specification) linking the new runway to the existing runway.

It also involved the construction of a new airport terminal (an ultra-modern steel and glass structure), a car park, a shopping complex and restaurants.

In addition to this, the airport expansion involved the construction of a new control tower and the installation of state-of-the-art electrical and fire-fighting equipment, numerous accessories to the new terminal building and parallel runway, runway lighting, power generation, internal escalators, baggage carousels and conveyors, a public address system and other communication devices and installations.

Bole International Airport is located 8km south-east of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and is the larger of the two international airports located in Addis Ababa, the second being the Lideta Airport, which is located in the south-west of the capital.

PHASE ONE

The new runway is designed to handle any size of aircraft including Boeing 747s and Airbus A340s. The new runway runs parallel to the existing runway and consists of five entrances and exits to the old runway, which serve as taxiways.

The cost of constructing the new runway was estimated at $30m. Dar-al Handasah, a Lebanese company, was project consultant and Kajma Keanganam, a joint Korean and Japanese company, was the lead contractor.

PHASE TWO

The second phase consisted of the construction of a new international terminal building, with a parking garage, a shopping complex and restaurants. It is a mainly steel structure. The cost of completing the second phase was estimated to be $75m with the British firm, Fitchner, in charge of the project management and Al-Kharafi and Sons, a Kuwaiti company, as contractors.

The new terminal has a high and spacious design where the three levels are the height of a six-storey building. The shining steel and glass structure is an architectural and artistic masterpiece. Passenger convenience and service has led to space being increased by five times over the previous main terminal to 43,000m².

Five direct boarding gates stretch out on the new apron, allowing passengers quick and easy boarding and departure from aircraft. The latest baggage handling facilities and services are provided, as well as expanded immigration and customs counters. The full range of modern facilities and services are available.

Modern communication and banking services are provided, and the food and shopping needs and wants of customer are fully catered for.

The inside of the terminal resembles a modern shopping mall, with plenty of space to meet all the requirements of the experienced international traveller. In anticipation of further growth the new terminal was constructed with the capacity to handle, in the first phase of opening, 1,870 passengers an hour, and this will expand to over 3,000. In 2004 the airport served 1.6 million passengers. The older terminal building now handles domestic flights only.

PHASE THREE

The third phase was for the construction of the 38m control tower (double the height of the previous one) and installation of new electrical and fire-fighting equipment. It also included the provision of numerous accessories to the new terminal building and parallel runway, runway lighting, power generation, internal escalators, baggage carousels and conveyors, public address system and other communication devices and installation.

The cost of completing the third phase of the project was estimated to be $30m and the German company Siemens was the lead contractor. The priority of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority was safety and special attention has been given to the provision of state-of-art landing and navigation aids, improving communication and upgrading safety equipment on the ground.

EXPANSION RATIONALE

The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, which manages Bole Airport have developed a comprehensive National Airports Development Plan covering the period 1999–2017 and the expansion of the airport is a major part of the plan. The airport will have a 12-fold increase in capacity to handle six to seven million passengers annually from its current capacity of 500,000 passengers.

The airport authorities hoped that the expansion of the airport will turn Bole Airport into the aviation capital of Africa. The provision of easy international connections at Bole is a key element in the ambition of Addis Ababa to become one of the most global cities in East Africa. Good air connections are believed to be essential in attracting a lot of business to the capital.

Addis is currently the emerging capital city in Africa, having been made the Headquarters of the African Union and also the base of the major UN agencies.

The new airport with its modern reliable infrastructure has certainly helped Addis bloom. The upgraded Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is now able to handle up to 17 aircraft simultaneously.

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