According to eTurboNews, Djibouti will soon have two new airports, aimed at boosting the infrastructure and connectivity of the country.
Ahmed Dini Ahmed International Airport, named after the former prime minister, is located in the north of the country and is designed to handle up to 770,000 passengers per year. It is expected to open in 2016.
Planned to open in 2018, Hassan Gouled Aptidon International Airport, named after Djibouti’s first president, is being built in Ali-Sabieh, 25 kilometres south of the capital. It will be capable of catering to 1.5 million passengers per year. The airport will accommodate all modern commercial aircraft including the Airbus A380.
The two new airports will complement Djibouti’s existing $5 billion multiple seaport investment plan. Djibouti will start work on brand-new liquefied natural gas and crude oil terminals this year, which will add to the four new ports already being built.
The direct rail link to Addis Ababa, a key link for neighbouring Ethiopia to the sea, is also currently under construction and is expected to be completed this year. The new railway line will be Ethiopia’s only lifeline for imports and exports until such time that the LAPSSET project is completed, which is due to link the new seaport of Lamu (Kenya) with both South Sudan and Ethiopia by rail and road.