Bole International Airport
Encyclopedia
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport serves the city of Addis Ababa
, Ethiopia
. The airport is located in the Bole area, 6 km (3.7 mi) south east of Addis Ababa City Centre and 65 km (40.4 mi) north of Debre Zeyit
. Formerly known as Haile Selassie I
International Airport, it is the main hub
of Ethiopian Airlines
, the national airline
which has service to destinations in Ethiopia and throughout the African continent
, as well as nonstop service to Asia
, Europe
, and North America
. Bole International is also served by BMI
, Daallo Airlines
, Djibouti Airlines
, Egypt Air, Emirates Airline
, flyDubai
, Gulf Air
, Kenya Airways
, KLM, Lufthansa
, Saudi Arabian Airlines
, Sudan Airways
, Turkish Airlines
and Yemen Airlines
. Air Arabia
, Arik Air
, Etihad Airways
, Oman Air
, and Qatar Airways
have announced plans of starting services to Addis Ababa in the near future. Previous operators like South African Airways
, Air France
, and Aeroflot
has ceased operations.Bole International Airport has been viewed by many carriers as a gateway to Africa, thus making it a potential connecting airport to other parts of Africa via Ethiopian Airlines' vast African network. It is a hub for many local chartered flights. It is also one of the main pilot training and aircraft maintenance centers in Africa.
Bole International Airport is one of the busiest airports in Africa with 3,497,847 passengers recorded in 2009. To accommodate the growing traffic volume, Bole airport has become the third largest airport in Africa by area. By 2011, the airport had become the 3rd busiest airport in the Africa by cargo traffic, registering 2,420,997 tonnes. Taxi service from the airport to Addis Ababa is available. The airport is well known for its strict security checks before entering it. The airport is capable of accommodating the Airbus A380-800.
In 2003, a new international passenger terminal
opened, one of the largest on the continent. This accompanied the completion of a new runway.The airport's runway, at 4,725 metres (15,502 ft), is one of the longest in Africa. It compares with OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, whose longest runway measures 4,418 metres (14,495 ft). It has over 100 flights registered for takeoffs and landings on a single day making it one of the busiest and fastest growing airports in Africa
and poised to overtake leading airports in the future.The runway after completion will be used by both the civilian airport and the Ethiopian Air Force
whose new base will be situated on the southern side of the runway. Vast cargo
, hangar
and hotel
construction expansion is underway by renowned Chinese state-owned companies.
Ethiopian Airlines passengers are offered two lounges at Bole International Airport. Cloud Nine passengers can wait for the departure of flights at the Cloud Nine Lounge, where they are provided with a wide variety of amenities, as well as personal computers or wireless connection.
. Terminal 1 has 4 gates and Terminal 2 has 7 gates. Terminal 1 serves Domestic flights and regional international destination such as East African cities and Sanaa and Terminal 2 serves International flights. Another Terminal 3 has been proposed for construction to accommodate the fast growing number of international carriers.Vast expansion of the runaway,terminals and hangars are under construction by Chinese companies.When the full expansion is completed by 2011, the airport will have three terminals and three concourses, two cargo mega terminals, an airport free zone, an expo centre with three large exhibition halls, a major aircraft maintenance hub and a flower center to handle perishable goods and five star hotel to accommodate transit passengers.The baggage handling system - largest system and also the deepest in Africa - has a capacity to handle 8,000 bags per hour.
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. The airport is located in the Bole area, 6 km (3.7 mi) south east of Addis Ababa City Centre and 65 km (40.4 mi) north of Debre Zeyit
Debre Zeyit
Debre Zeyit is a town of Ethiopia, lying south east of Addis Ababa. Since the late 1990s it has been officially known by the Oromo name, Bishoftu, which was its name until 1955...
. Formerly known as Haile Selassie I
Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Haile Selassie I , born Tafari Makonnen, was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974...
International Airport, it is the main hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
of Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines , formerly Ethiopian Air Lines, often referred to as simply Ethiopian, is an airline headquartered on the grounds of Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It serves as the country's flag carrier, and is wholly owned by the Government of Ethiopia...
, the national airline
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
which has service to destinations in Ethiopia and throughout the African continent
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, as well as nonstop service to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Bole International is also served by BMI
Bmi (airline)
British Midland Airways Limited , is an airline based at Donington Hall in Castle Donington in the United Kingdom, close to East Midlands Airport, and a fully owned subsidiary of Lufthansa...
, Daallo Airlines
Daallo Airlines
Daallo Airlines is an airline, headquartered in the Dubai Airport Free Zone in Al Garhoud, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With its main base at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport, the airline operates scheduled services in East Africa and the Middle East...
, Djibouti Airlines
Djibouti Airlines
Djibouti Airlines was an airline based in Djibouti, Djibouti. It operated regional scheduled and ad-hoc charter services using wet leased aircraft out of its base at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport. Additionally, the airline was engaged in relief operations in East Africa.-History:Djibouti...
, Egypt Air, Emirates Airline
Emirates Airline
Emirates is the airline based in the Emirate of Dubai part of the United Arab Emirates . Based at Dubai International Airport it is the largest airline in the Middle East, operating over 2,400 flights per week, from its hub at Terminal 3, to 111 cities in 62 countries across six continents...
, flyDubai
Flydubai
Dubai Aviation Corporation , trading as flydubai , is a low-cost airline with its head office and flight operations in Terminal 2 of Dubai International Airport.-History:...
, Gulf Air
Gulf Air
Gulf Air is the principal flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Headquartered in Muharraq, adjacent to Bahrain International Airport, the airline operates scheduled services to 45 destinations in 28 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe. Its main base is Bahrain International Airport...
, Kenya Airways
Kenya Airways
Kenya Airways Ltd., more commonly known as Kenya Airways, is the flag carrier and largest airline of Kenya. The company was founded in 1977, after the dissolution of East African Airways. The carrier's head office is located in Embakasi, Nairobi, with its main base at Jomo Kenyatta International...
, KLM, Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
, Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 90 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America...
, Sudan Airways
Sudan Airways
Sudan Airways is the national airline of Sudan, headquartered in Khartoum. The airline operates under the IATA airline designator SD and the ICAO airline designator SUD, while its callsign is SUDANAIR....
, Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey, headquartered in the Turkish Airlines General Management Building on the grounds of Atatürk Airport in Yeşilköy, Bakirköy district, Istanbul...
and Yemen Airlines
Yemen Airlines
Yemen Airlines may refer to the following airlines:*Yemenia, the national airline of North Yemen and today's unified Yemen, was named Yemen Airlines until 1972....
. Air Arabia
Air Arabia
Air Arabia is a low-cost airline with its head office in the Sharjah Freight Center, Sharjah International Airport, in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates....
, Arik Air
Arik Air
Arik Air is a Nigerian airline operating a domestic, regional and international flight network. It is also the national carrier of Sierra Leone. It operates mainly from two hubs at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja...
, Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates. Established in July 2003 and based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Etihad commenced operations in November 2003....
, Oman Air
Oman Air
Oman Air is the national airline of Oman. Based on the grounds of Muscat International Airport in Muscat, it operates scheduled domestic and international passenger services, as well as regional air taxi and charter flights. Its main base is Muscat International Airport. Oman Air is a member of...
, and Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. , operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, it operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of over 100 aircraft...
have announced plans of starting services to Addis Ababa in the near future. Previous operators like South African Airways
South African Airways
South African Airways is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International...
, Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
, and Aeroflot
Aeroflot
OJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation, based on passengers carried per year...
has ceased operations.Bole International Airport has been viewed by many carriers as a gateway to Africa, thus making it a potential connecting airport to other parts of Africa via Ethiopian Airlines' vast African network. It is a hub for many local chartered flights. It is also one of the main pilot training and aircraft maintenance centers in Africa.
Bole International Airport is one of the busiest airports in Africa with 3,497,847 passengers recorded in 2009. To accommodate the growing traffic volume, Bole airport has become the third largest airport in Africa by area. By 2011, the airport had become the 3rd busiest airport in the Africa by cargo traffic, registering 2,420,997 tonnes. Taxi service from the airport to Addis Ababa is available. The airport is well known for its strict security checks before entering it. The airport is capable of accommodating the Airbus A380-800.
In 2003, a new international passenger terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
opened, one of the largest on the continent. This accompanied the completion of a new runway.The airport's runway, at 4,725 metres (15,502 ft), is one of the longest in Africa. It compares with OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, whose longest runway measures 4,418 metres (14,495 ft). It has over 100 flights registered for takeoffs and landings on a single day making it one of the busiest and fastest growing airports in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and poised to overtake leading airports in the future.The runway after completion will be used by both the civilian airport and the Ethiopian Air Force
Ethiopian Air Force
The Ethiopian Air Force is the air arm of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces and is tasked with protecting the air space, providing support to the ground forces as well as assisting during national emergencies.- Early years :...
whose new base will be situated on the southern side of the runway. Vast cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
, hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
and hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
construction expansion is underway by renowned Chinese state-owned companies.
Ethiopian Airlines passengers are offered two lounges at Bole International Airport. Cloud Nine passengers can wait for the departure of flights at the Cloud Nine Lounge, where they are provided with a wide variety of amenities, as well as personal computers or wireless connection.
Gates
The airport has two terminals with a total of 11 gatesGate (airport)
A gate in aviation is a long, movable, "bridge" that allows passengers to embark and disembark their aircraft.* Jetway bridges* Air stairs, either built into the aircraft or from a mobile vehicle* Mobile lounges...
. Terminal 1 has 4 gates and Terminal 2 has 7 gates. Terminal 1 serves Domestic flights and regional international destination such as East African cities and Sanaa and Terminal 2 serves International flights. Another Terminal 3 has been proposed for construction to accommodate the fast growing number of international carriers.Vast expansion of the runaway,terminals and hangars are under construction by Chinese companies.When the full expansion is completed by 2011, the airport will have three terminals and three concourses, two cargo mega terminals, an airport free zone, an expo centre with three large exhibition halls, a major aircraft maintenance hub and a flower center to handle perishable goods and five star hotel to accommodate transit passengers.The baggage handling system - largest system and also the deepest in Africa - has a capacity to handle 8,000 bags per hour.
Airlines and destinations
Cargo airlines
Accidents and incidents
- On 18 March 1980, Douglas C-47B ET-AGM of Ethiopian AirlinesEthiopian AirlinesEthiopian Airlines , formerly Ethiopian Air Lines, often referred to as simply Ethiopian, is an airline headquartered on the grounds of Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It serves as the country's flag carrier, and is wholly owned by the Government of Ethiopia...
crashed whilst on a single engined approach to Bole International Airport. The aircraft was on a training flight.