Laying the foundation stone of the Bishoftu International Airport, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said it would have the capacity to handle up to 110 million passengers annually–tripling the continent’s current busiest hubs. He added that the project would bolster the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and enhance Ethiopia’s global competitiveness.

However, the Oromo Liberation Front condemned the project, about 40 km south-east of Addis Abeba, as involving “forced displacement,” alleging that thousands of residents are being uprooted and demanding ownership stakes for affected farmers.