Departure
96%
vs 95% ▲ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (HAAB/ADD) is Ethiopia's principal gateway and the main hub of Ethiopian Airlines, sited in the Bole district of the capital at an elevation of 7,605 feet. For a simulator pilot it offers a demanding high-altitude operating environment with two long parallel hard-surfaced runways served by ILS approaches, set against the backdrop of the Ethiopian highlands.
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is the principal international airport of Ethiopia and the main hub for Ethiopian Airlines, one of Africa's largest carriers. It sits at high elevation in the Bole district of Addis Ababa and handles a substantial mix of long-haul, regional and domestic traffic, making it a busy and operationally interesting destination for a simulator pilot, not least because of the density of wide-body movements and the airport's considerable field elevation.
The airport lies in the Bole district of Addis Ababa, roughly 6 kilometres southeast of the city centre, within Ethiopian controlled airspace under the Addis Ababa Flight Information Region. It is served by area control (Addis Center) on separate east and west sector frequencies, together with approach, tower and ground control, reflecting its status as a major controlled aerodrome.
The airport has two parallel hard-surfaced runways aligned 07/25. The northern runway, 07L/25R, is 12,115 feet long, has an asphalt surface and is lit, with an instrument landing system serving the approach to runway 25R. The southern runway, 07R/25L, is 11,275 feet long, also asphalt and lit, with an instrument landing system serving the approach to runway 25L. Both runways are substantial enough to accommodate the full range of wide-body airliner traffic that uses the airport.
Bole Tower operates on 118.1 MHz, with ground control on 121.9 MHz and approach control on 119.7 MHz. The airport ATIS broadcasts on 128.5 MHz, and a common traffic advisory frequency of 118.5 MHz is also listed. En-route area control is provided by Addis Center, with an eastern sector on 125.2 MHz and a western sector on 125.1 MHz. Both runway ends on the 25 side (25L and 25R) are equipped with instrument landing systems to support approaches in poor weather or at night.
The airport was built at Bole after Ethiopian Airlines found that the existing runway at Lideta was too short for its new Boeing 720 jets; the new runway and control tower became operational in December 1962. It was formerly known as Haile Selassie I International Airport. A major expansion programme announced in 1997 added a parallel runway, converted the original runway to a taxiway, and led to construction of a new terminal, a taller control tower and upgraded fire and electrical systems. A new international passenger terminal opened in 2003, becoming one of the largest in Africa, and a new cargo terminal and maintenance hangar followed in 2006, the year the airport also hosted early high-altitude engine performance testing for the Airbus A380. Further expansion of aircraft parking, taxiways and terminal capacity was carried out in phases from 2010 through the 2010s to keep pace with Ethiopian Airlines' growth.
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport remains the principal hub of Ethiopian Airlines and is also home to the Ethiopian Aviation Academy. It is among the busiest airports in Africa, handling a high daily volume of international, regional and domestic flights. Longer-term plans envisage the airport eventually being superseded by a new hub airport at Bishoftu, with completion projected around 2030.
