ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 12, 2024--
Ethiopian Airlines Group has announced plans to build Africa’s largest airport in Abusera – a critical element of Ethiopian’s 15-year strategic plan to become one of the most competitive aviation groups in the world.
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The airport’s location allows for progressive growth, empowering the airline to meet the International Air Transport Association’s forecasts of more than 200% growth over the next decade – growing beyond Bole International Airport, which offers no possibilities for significant expansion. Abusera’s lower altitude will elevate aircraft take-off performance, while an express rail link to Addis Ababa facilitates connectivity.
In its first phase scheduled for 2029, the airport will have capacity for 60 million passengers annually – almost three times Africa’s current busiest airport – creating thousands of jobs to serve Ethiopian’s expanding customer base and fleet. Ultimately, the airport will serve 110 million passengers annually – four times the capacity of Bole International Airport.
Ethiopian’s CEO Mesfin Tasew stated: “With its exceptional capacity and world-class facilities, this new airport promises to elevate African aviation.”
To deliver this transformational new project, Ethiopian Airlines awarded a consultancy contract to a consortium led by Dar Al-Handasah Consultants (Shair and Partners), with Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA),Pascall+Watson Architects, Landrum&Brown, and TY Lin.
Dar, TY Lin, and Landrum&Brown belong to Sidara, a global collaborative that ranks 1 st in aviation (Engineering News Record 2023). ZHA brings award-winning design capabilities and a global track-record of acclaimed airport projects, while Pascall+Watson Architects has successfully completed over 2,000 aviation projects across 70 airports.
Collectively, these companies will cover technical advisory, engineering, project management, and construction supervision services for 600,000 m 2 of passenger facilities, 126,000 m 2 of airline support facilities, two Code 4E parallel runways along with associated airfield infrastructure, and other major airport facilities and infrastructure.
About Ethiopian Airlines Group
Ethiopian is one of the fastest-growing airlines globally and the largest in Africa. Building on a highly successful 78-year track record, Ethiopian operates Africa’s most modern fleet to more than 150 destinations across five continents.
https://www.ethiopianairlines.com/et
About Dar
Dar provides design, planning, engineering, and management services for buildings, cities, transportation, and infrastructure projects.
About Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA)
Founded 45 years ago in London, ZHA offers architecture, design, and planning services worldwide.
Source:AETOSWire
Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew and Dar’s Director of Operations in Ethiopia Tariq Al-Qanni sign consultancy contract for new Abusera International Airport. (Photo: AETOSWire)
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankans began voting Saturday in a presidential election that will determine the course of the country's recovery from its worst economic crisis and resulting political upheaval.
The election, contested by 38 candidates, is largely a three-way race among incumbent liberal President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Marxist-leaning lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.
There are 17 million eligible voters, and final results are expected Sunday.
The results will show whether Sri Lankans approve of Wickremesinghe's leadership over the country's fragile recovery, including restructuring its debt under an International Monetary Fund program after it defaulted in 2022.
The government announced Thursday that it passed the final hurdle in debt restructuring by reaching an agreement in principle with private bond holders.
Sri Lanka’s local and foreign debt totaled $83 billion at the time it defaulted, and the government says it has now restructured more than $17 billion.
Despite a significant improvement in key economic figures, Sri Lankans are struggling under high taxes and living costs.
Both Premadasa and Dissanayake say they will renegotiate the IMF deal to make austerity measures more bearable. Wickremesinghe has warned that any move to alter the basics of the agreement could delay the release of a fourth tranche of nearly $3 billion in assistance pledged by the IMF that's crucial to maintaining stability.
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis resulted largely from excessive borrowing on projects that did not generate revenue. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s insistence on using scarce foreign reserves to prop up the currency, the rupee, contributed to the economy’s free fall.
The economic collapse brought a severe shortage of essentials such as medicine, food, cooking gas and fuel, with people spending days waiting in line to obtain them. It led to rioting in which protesters took over key buildings including the president’s house, his office and the prime minister’s office, forcing then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.
Wickremesinghe was elected by a parliamentary vote in July 2022 to cover the remainder of Rajapaksa’s five-year term. Now, Wickremesinghe is seeking another term to strengthen the gains.
However, many people accuse him of protecting members of the Rajapaksa family, whom they blame for the economic crisis.
Wickremesinghe, who was the only member of his party in Parliament, was elected mainly with the votes of Rajapaksa loyalists. They also supported him as members of his Cabinet and in voting for the reforms he proposed.
Polling officers set up their booth in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
A police officer stands guard as polling officers set up their booth in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
People wait in a queue to casts their votes at a polling station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
People wait in a queue to casts their votes at a polling station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Sri Lankan president and independent presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe shows indelible mark on his baby finger after casting his vote, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Sri Lankan president and independent presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe reacts after casting his vote, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Sri Lankan president and independent presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe arrives to cast his vote in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Sri Lankan police officer stands guard as voters queue to cast their vote at a polling center for presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Sri Lankan police officer stands guard as voters queue to cast their vote at a polling center for presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Sri Lankan show their baby fingers marked with an indelible ink after casting their vote at a polling center for presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
A person shows indelible mark on his finger after casting his vote in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)
People stand in a queue to cast their votes in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)
Election officials leave a distribution center after collecting polling material for the upcoming presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Police officers wait for transport to travel to polling stations ahead of the upcoming presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
A police officer stands guard outside a polling material distribution center ahead of the presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Sri Lanka's opposition leader and presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa speaks to his supporters during a public rally in Thalawakele, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaks to supporters during the final public rally ahead of the election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Sri Lanka's president Ranil Wickremesinghe speaks during a public rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Women election officials walk past security personnel outside a distribution center before collecting polling materials for the upcoming presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
