Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde GebreMariam told Logistics Middle East in 2019 that the carrier’s new roughly 38,000 square meter air cargo terminal in Addis Ababa put the city in direct competition with Dubai’s freighter hub model.
The case study sold capacity, cold chain, and African origin consolidation: flowers, pharma, electronics, and transit freight that once routed through the Gulf. Cargo has long been Ethiopian’s quiet forex engine alongside passengers.
Under Abiy Ahmed’s investment narrative, aviation infrastructure was proof Ethiopia could build continental logistics without waiting for every road and rail promise to finish. Competitors in Dubai and elsewhere were not standing still.
Kept for Horn logistics readers, the terminal file shows ambition and vulnerability together. A giant shed only matters if air rights, security, and political stability keep freighters landing.
Sources: Logistics Middle East
