Africa's largest airport construction project has revealed its shortlist: of the 33 pre-qualified firms for Ethiopia's Bishoftu International Airport, 15 are Chinese. This balance of power crystallises growing Sino-American tensions over African infrastructure.
A $12.5 Billion Project
Located 40 kilometres south-east of Addis Ababa, Bishoftu Airport is set to become Africa's largest, with a capacity of 110 million passengers per year by 2030. Its total cost is estimated at $12.5 billion, with the African Development Bank (AfDB) already committing $500 million.
Chinese heavyweights on the shortlist include China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and Beijing Urban Construction Group — all well-versed in large-scale African projects financed by Beijing.
A Weakened American Response
The United States had signalled its intention to finance part of the project, as part of its broader push to reduce African dependence on Chinese-built infrastructure. But Chinese dominance on the shortlist — 45% of the slots — significantly complicates that diplomatic ambition.
European (Webuild, Vinci), South Korean (Samsung C&T) and Turkish (Kalyon, IC Ictas) firms round out the list, offering Addis Ababa diversification options. No decision has been made yet.
Building a Continental Hub
Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport, Ethiopian Airlines' current hub, is reaching capacity. Bishoftu is designed to absorb that traffic and position Ethiopia as an intercontinental gateway between Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest carrier, transported more than 17 million passengers in 2025.
If awarded on schedule, construction is expected to run from 2027 to 2030, generating thousands of local jobs in the Oromia region.
Why It Matters
The Bishoftu tender illustrates a dynamic that extends far beyond Ethiopia: the contest for Africa's strategic infrastructure has become a proxy battleground for great powers. For investors and operators across the Indian Ocean region, the rise of this hub at the mouth of the Red Sea represents both a logistics opportunity and growing competition on regional air routes.
Sources: 2merkato.com, Birr Metrics, Ethio Negari — August 2026