South Africa’s Oliver Tambo International Airport is No Longer Africa’s Largest Airport

Africa has a new international airport that beats others in size because it is now the largest airport aviation hub on the continent. 22 million passengers can now travel through the airport per year in order to reach their destinations across the globe. The airport has become the leading gateway to Africa, overtaking Dubai. You can now fly directly to Africa without stopping in Dubai through Addis Ababa, the newest aviation hub on the continent.

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport’s newest terminal is now ready for use, overshadows all other airports in Africa. The airport has been under construction since 2005 costing more than US$ 35 million. China continues to show its support to African development by funding this earth-shattering project. Partly because of this, the airport comes with a surprise package for travelers, workers, and other persons. Bole International has now Oliver Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, in South Africa that handles five million fewer people per year.

Ethiopia Leading The Way In Aviation

Ethiopian Airports merged with Ethiopian Airlines Aviation group in 2017. Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde Gebremriam told The Reporter that the expanded terminal project was delayed due to various reasons. However, after the merger, work on the project was expedited.  The new terminal has a vast commercial area for duty-free shops, restaurants, and cafes and comes equipped with modern amenities. These include self-check-in kiosks, e-gates, baggage handling technologies, and automated bag drop services. In order to complete the picture, the airport features airtight modern airport security technologies. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed recently inaugurated the expanded airport in order to mark this historic achievement.

Additionally, Ethiopian Airlines is planning to become the largest airline group in the continent in the next 15 years. With a 111-strong fleet of aircraft, Ethiopian Airlines is bound to be the best in the continent. Additionally, it has more than tripled its passenger capacity from seven million to 22. It flies to more than 119 international cargo and passenger destinations in the world. The airline truly reflects the African spirit because 61 of these destinations are international airports on the continent.

Ethiopian Airports CEO Tewodros Dawit told The Reporter last year that Ethiopian Airports is planning to bid and take over other airports in Africa with management contract. “A department that works on this project has been established and the required personnel are being trained and assigned to manage the task,” he said. Since then deals have been made to set up aviation centers in Togo. Other partnerships have been made with countries such as Mozambique, Chad and Malawi.

Top Ten Airports in Africa

Before the opening of Addis Ababa expanded Bole International Airport terminal, the top ten biggest airports in Africa were as follows:

1. Oliver Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa
2. Cape Town International Airport, Cape Town, South Africa.
3. King Shaka International Airport, Durban, South Africa.
4. Cairo International Airport, Cairo, Egypt.
5. Hurghada International Airport, Hurghada, Egypt.
6. Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
7. Mohammed V International Airport, Casablanca, Morocco.
8. Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Nigeria.
9. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya.
10. Port Elizabeth International Airport, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Surprise Package for Travelers in Africa’s Newest and Biggest International Airport

The airport provides a surprise package for travelers in form of a brand new five-star luxury hotel. The new Ethiopian Skylight Hotel occupies an area of 40,000 square meters in order to provide a luxurious experience to travelers. In addition to this, the hotel has 373 rooms ready for use. The VIPs are also at home in this hotel because there are 27 executive and presidential suites. To cap it up, the hotel also comes with four restaurants and a banquet and conference lobby that can cater for 2,000 persons at a time.

It gets even better because you will get a visa on arrival in Addis Ababa if you are coming from any country in Africa. Due to the fact that Ethiopia has the best aromatic and sweetest coffee in the world, let us meet at the new Ethiopian Skylight Hotel for a cup or two.