Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport is probably not one that would spring to mind when thinking of the best airports in the world. There is quite a bit of construction going on and on the face of it, there is nothing special about it.
I’ve passed through this airport four times in the last couple of weeks, twice departing and twice arriving. There are neat features of the airport that nobody mentions that really makes it all rather pleasant.
I’ve fallen in love with Bole
Ethiopian Airlines is perhaps unsurprisingly the dominant carrier in Addis Ababa. They have a business class product they call Cloud Nine, which is decidedly mid-range in some aspects, while in others it is world class.
Some of these world class aspects are particular features at Bole International Airport. No, I am not going to say their lounges are the best in the world, or that there is some kind of car that drives business class passengers from the terminal to the plane. It’s far simpler than that and arguably even better.
This, of course, is in addition to things like a business class bus taking you from remote stand to the terminal. Plus, there is also a dedicated baggage carousel just for Cloud Nine baggage off all flights, which is something I’d never come across before.
Overall Thoughts
Bole International Airport is designed to whisk Ethiopian’s Cloud Nine passengers through fast. It sure surprised me pleasantly each time I came across yet another thing new to me. While other airports have a business class bus, dedicated immigration lines and baggage carousels are new to me.
While the airport is not remarkable in any other way, this certainly sets it apart from others. If you can afford it, fly through in business class. You won’t regret it!
What do you think of Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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I have transited Bole and found the airport to be very efficient.
Yes, I was surprised how efficient it was… for business class passengers anyway! Thanks for the comment!
Onboard either ET or in the lounge, were there any Ethiopian touches?
The lounge has an Ethiopian coffee experience where you can sit down and a lady pours you coffee, and the coffee is nice. Also, there is injera in the food offering and a few dishes are local. Quite delicious! On board, I was unfortunately on exclusively overnight or early morning flights, so the food was pretty standard. On day long haul sectors they do a whole serve you a meal from the trolleys in front of you thing apparently, with Ethiopian food. Not on the flights I took, sadly.
I have only ever transited there, and from my perspective, there are three minuses and one huge plus:
The airport is crowded, sometimes with failing a/c, and Ethiopian’s lounge can be a madhouse.
On the other hand, Ethiopian is so well organized, that if an arriving flight is late, individual buses will be waiting at the remote stands to drive connecting passengers directly to their next plane, ensuring flights leave as on-time as possible without stranding any pax. I wish U.S. airlines were that proactive.
Well I’ve also only transited, but also 16 hours each time. You’re correct, the lounge can be extremely busy depending on when you’re there. However, as you said, Ethiopian do their best to ensure you get where you need to go. Overall a win to me!