Ethiopian Airlines has pushed back contractor selection for its planned $12.5 billion Bishoftu International Airport from August 2026 to early January 2027. Chief executive Mesfin Tasew disclosed the revised schedule in Addis Ababa, as the carrier continues work on one of Africa’s largest aviation infrastructure projects.
The delay follows requests from shortlisted bidders for additional time to prepare proposals, finalise bids, negotiate with lenders and assemble subcontractors. Ethiopian Airlines has kept the overall project timetable unchanged, despite the later procurement step.
Ethiopian Investment Holdings has created a special purpose company to oversee delivery of the airport programme. The contractor list is understood to include firms and joint ventures from China, Europe, the Middle East, Türkiye, India and Russia, reflecting strong international interest in the scheme.
The Bishoftu project is intended to ease pressure on Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and expand Ethiopia’s long-term aviation capacity. The procurement pause suggests that financing arrangements remain as important as construction capability in determining how quickly the project advances.