Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is about 6 km southeast of central Addis Ababa, in the Bole district. The drive to the city center usually takes 20 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic, which is often heavy at rush hours. Hotels along Bole Road are closer, and the Piassa area in the north of the center takes longer to reach.

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport has two passenger terminals. Terminal 2 handles all international flights and has most of the gates, lounges and shops, while Terminal 1 handles domestic flights within Ethiopia. The two terminals stand next to each other in the same complex, so you can walk between them, allowing time for a security check.

Ethiopian Airlines is the main airline at Addis Ababa and uses it as its hub for flights across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. Other airlines include Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, Saudia, flydubai, flynas, Air Arabia, Jazeera Airways, Kenya Airways, RwandAir, Air Algérie and China Southern Airlines.

Taxis wait outside the terminal. Yellow taxis are metered, while private blue-and-white taxis may be metered or charge a set fare, so agree the price before you get in if there is no meter. The drive to the city center usually takes 20 to 40 minutes. Ride-hailing apps and pre-booked transfers are other options.

Yes. The local ride-hailing apps Ride and Feres can pick up passengers at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, and the app shows the price before you confirm. You need mobile data to book, so buy a local SIM card in arrivals or set up an eSIM before you land, then meet your driver at the app pickup area outside the terminal.

No. The Addis Ababa Light Rail does not stop at Bole International Airport, and the nearest station is a couple of kilometers away. Most travelers leave the airport by taxi, ride-hailing app, hotel shuttle or pre-booked transfer, which take you straight to your hotel without changing vehicles with your luggage.

Most visitors need a visa. You can apply online for an e-visa at evisa.gov.et before you travel, and it is accepted on arrival at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Some nationalities can also buy a visa on arrival. Your passport should be valid for at least six months. Passengers who connect without leaving the airport do not need a visa.

Yes. An Ethio Telecom counter in the arrivals area sells prepaid SIM cards and data plans. Registration can take some time, so some travelers set up an eSIM before they land. Free Wi-Fi is also available on the ADD Free WiFi network, but it asks for a mobile number to register and can be slow at busy times.

You can withdraw Ethiopian birr (ETB) from the ATM in the Arrivals Hall or change money at the foreign exchange counter there. If an ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, choose birr instead. Card acceptance is limited outside large hotels, so carry some cash in small notes for your first days in Addis Ababa.

Yes. The Ethiopian Skylight In-Terminal Hotel has 97 rooms connected to the Terminal 2 departures area, past passport control, so it suits passengers with an onward boarding pass who do not want to enter Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Skylight Hotel stands near the airport outside the terminal, and staying there means clearing immigration first.

Terminal 2 has two main lounges. Cloud Nine Lounge is for business class passengers flying Ethiopian Airlines and partner airlines. Plaza Premium Lounge, past the main security check, is a pay-per-use lounge that also admits members of programs such as Priority Pass. Check access rules with your airline or lounge program before you travel.

Addis Ababa is on East Africa Time (UTC+3) all year, with no daylight saving time. Locally, many Ethiopians also use the Ethiopian clock, which counts hours from about 6 a.m., so 7 a.m. international time is 1 o'clock Ethiopian time. Flight schedules use international time, but confirm which clock is meant when you agree a time locally.

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport was formerly called Haile Selassie I International Airport. Today it is known as Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, and travelers often call it Bole Airport, Bole International Airport or simply Addis Ababa Airport. Its IATA code is ADD and its ICAO code is HAAB, so check that your ticket shows ADD.

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is operated by Ethiopian Airports Enterprise and is the hub of Ethiopian Airlines. It handled about 12.1 million passengers in 2024, up about 11 percent on the previous year, with more than 165,000 aircraft movements. It has two parallel runways, 3,800 m and 3,700 m long, at an elevation of about 2,334 m.

A new airport is planned at Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, to take over as Ethiopian Airlines' hub, with completion projected for 2030 and construction starting in early 2026. Until it opens, all scheduled passenger flights to Addis Ababa continue to use Bole International Airport, so book and travel to ADD as usual.