Chinese Companies Hold Inside Track for Ethiopia's Huge New Airport

 Vietnam's VN Express published on 16 August 2026 an article titled "Africa's Biggest Airport Project Puts Chinese Firms on Shortlist" by Phan Anh.

Chinese state-owned companies have been short-listed for 15 of the 33 places for Ethiopia's $12.5 billion international airport outside Addis Ababa.  No US company made the shortlist, but Boeing supplies most of the aircraft for the Ethiopian Airlines fleet.  

The project requires more than $9 billion in external funding.  This is the most expensive aviation project ever undertaken in Africa.

US and Chinese Companies Compete for Ethiopia's New Airport

 The South China Morning Post published on 13 August 2026 an article titled "US-China Rivalry Takes Flight Over Scramble for Contracts at Ethiopia's Bishoftu Airport" by Jevans Nyabiage.  

American private sector companies and Chinese state-owned companies are competing for contracts concerning the construction of Africa's largest new airport outside Addis Ababa and the supply of equipment to Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest.

US-China Competition for Ethiopia's New International Airport

 Business Insider Africa published on 30 July 2026 an article titled "Ethiopia's $12.5 Billion Airport Has Become the Latest Investment Battleground between the U.S. and China in Africa" by Solomon Ekanem.

The United States is seeking a role for its private sector companies in the development of Ethiopia's new $12.5 billion Bishoftu Airport as it challenges China's commanding position of building infrastructure projects in Africa by its state-owned companies.

The United States sees this as an opening for its construction and engineering companies and an opportunity to sell more Boeing aircraft to Ethiopian Airlines.  In addition, the Bishoftu Airport is a gateway to influence Africa's fast-growing aviation, logistics, and technology sectors.

Sudan Claims Drone Attacks from Ethiopia

 The Associated Press published on 5 May 2026 an article titled "Sudan Recalls Ambassador to Ethiopia over Drone Attack on Khartoum Airport."

Sudan claims it has been targeted on 4 occasions by drones originating in Ethiopia since March 1.  Sudan said it intercepted the most recent drone targeting Khartoum airport.  It blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and claimed the UAE supplied the drones.  Ethiopia issued a statement denying the accusation.

Drone Attacks Threaten Reopening of Khartoum International Airport

 Aljazeera published on 21 October 2025 an article titled "Drone Attack in Sudan Threatens Khartoum Airport's Reopening: Reports" by Stephen Quillen.  

The Sudan Armed Forces planned to reopen for civilian flights the Khartoum international airport, which has been shut down since the outbreak of fighting with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.  Recent drone attacks, almost certainly by the RSF, in the vicinity of the airport threaten to postpone the reopening.  

Is China's Loan for Ugandan Airport Predatory?

 AidData published in February 2022 a study titled "Is Beijing a Predatory Lender? New Evidence from a Previously Undisclosed Loan Contract for the Entebbe International Airport Upgrading and Expansion Project" by Brad Parks, Ammar A. Malik, and Alex Wooley.

AidData's publication of the final, unredacted version of a controversial $200 million loan contract between China Export-Import Bank and the government of Uganda for the Entebbe International Airport Upgrading and Expansion Project reveals that the airport itself is not a source of collateral that the lender can seize in the event of default.

Instead, China Export-Import Bank required the borrower to provide a fully liquid cash deposit in an escrow account that the lender can unilaterally seize in the event the government of Uganda defaults on its repayment obligations.  AidData concluded that Chinese lenders have no desire to seize assets but they are looking out for their own interests. This loan contract does not support the charge of predatory lending but does contain intrusive conditions.  

Chinese-financed Project in Sierra Leone Cancelled

The Agenda for International Development published on 25 September 2020 an article titled "China's Infrastructure Investment in Africa -- A Case of Sierra Leone" by Saite Lu, University of Cambridge. 

The author looks the Mamamoh Airport project in Sierra Leone.  The World Bank and International Monetary Fund were critical of the project.  In 2018, Sierra Leone signed a financing contract with the China Export-Import Bank.  A new government in Sierra Leone cancelled the project the same year.