Ethiopian Airlines (ET) was founded in 1946 with five small planes at the behest of Emperor Haile Selassie. It is the largest and most profitable airline in Africa, owned by the Ethiopian government. Its passenger-carrying capacity is roughly equivalent to that of the second-, third- and fourth-largest African airlines combined. It operates direct flights from cities including Atlanta to Addis Ababa and has promoted connections between the African diaspora and Ethiopia. Together with Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines has made flying in east Africa smoother than in west Africa or across the continent, where poor connections remain the norm.
ET has turned a profit every year for nearly two decades, even during the covid-19 pandemic. In the year to July 2025 its revenues grew by 8% to $7.6bn; over the previous year they grew by 15%.
ET plans to build Africa's largest airport near Bishoftu, an hour's drive south of Addis Ababa, to cement Ethiopia's status as the continent's air-travel hub. The new airport would ultimately handle some 110m passengers a year—more than travelled through Atlanta, the world's busiest airport almost every year since 1999. The expected cost is around $10bn; ET says it will pay a fifth and the African Development Bank has pledged $500m. Both America and China have expressed interest in financing the project.
ET's main airport in central Addis Ababa has a capacity of 22m passengers a year; by 2035 the airline aims to carry triple that number. The capital's altitude of 2,300 metres requires planes to be lighter on take-off. From Bishoftu, which lies around 400 metres lower, aircraft could carry more cargo or more fuel, potentially enabling direct flights to North America.
Some investors believe the monumental scale of the plan reflects pressure from Abiy Ahmed's government, which has a penchant for mega-projects. Construction is expected to displace some 15,000 people; local activists say those who complained have been harassed and arrested.
ET's success derives in large part from a "Chinese wall between political and commercial decision-making", though there are signs this wall is crumbling. In 2022 the airline's widely respected chief executive resigned after facing what credible sources say was intimidation from the government over his perceived links to opposition politicians. In 2023 General Yilma Merdasa, head of the Ethiopian Air Force, replaced a veteran aviation executive as chairman of ET's board.
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