--- iata: ADD name: Addis Ababa Bole International Airport city: Addis Ababa country: Ethiopia lastUpdated: '2026-09-20' officialWebsite: >- https://www.ethiopianairlines.com/aa/services/services-at-the-airport/addis-ababa-airport sources: - >- https://www.ethiopianairlines.com/aa/services/services-at-the-airport/addis-ababa-airport - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa_Bole_International_Airport' - 'https://www.evisa.gov.et/' - >- https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/busiest-airports-in-africa-in-2024/gepv279 - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en/lounges/ethiopia/addis-ababa/add-plaza-premium-lounge quickFacts: - >- Addis Ababa Bole (IATA ADD / ICAO HAAB), Bole district; owner Ethiopian Airlines, operator Ethiopian Airports Enterprise; elevation 2,334 m / 7,657 ft - >- 12,099,516 passengers in calendar 2024 (+11.0%), 165,091 movements, 265,949 t cargo — Ethiopian’s “22 million international” figure is design capacity, not that year’s traffic - >- Two live halls: T1 domestic (inaugurated 18 May 2024) and T2 international (opened 21 Jan 2003; expansion 28 Jan 2019). There is no T3. Bishoftu replacement airport is construction, not a live campus - >- Home hub for Ethiopian Airlines (Star Alliance). T2 airside FIDS (Dec 2022 / Dec 2024): Gates A1–A16, B1–B7, C1–C11 - >- Priority Pass: Plaza Premium in T2 after security (listed 00:00–23:59, max 2 h, showers). Cloud Nine (Business) and ShebaMiles Platinum sit opposite Gate A13; Sheba Silver is a separate T2 room - >- About 6 km from the Bole Road side of the city (Ethiopian Airlines). Meter taxis at arrivals; Ride and Feres operate — Uber does not. No metro and no airport LRT bentoTips: - label: Timing title: Two hours for Ethiopian international detail: >- Ethiopian published MCT (hours.minutes): online D/D 0.30, D/I 0.30, I/D 1.00, I/I 0.35; offline I/I 0.45. Gate close with no bags is 30 minutes. Immigration plus T2 security still eats the morning/evening banks — do not treat MCT as a walk-up. T1 domestic is shorter but still a full security reclear if you change from T2. summary: >- Ethiopian asks 2 hours at ADD; economy desks die 60 minutes before departure, Cloud Nine 45 minutes; web check-in 48 h–2 h. category: timing - label: Terminal title: 'T1 domestic, T2 international — no T3' detail: >- T2 check-in has 74 desks. T1 opening-day figures were 25,750 m², 4 contact + 10 remote stands, 22 desks — Ethiopian’s airport page still leftover-prints 16 domestic desks. Dual 4E runways: 07R/25L 3,800 m and 07L/25R 3,700 m. Ethiopian connections that stay international can remain airside in T2; domestic↔international reclears. summary: >- T2 is every international flight; T1 (reopened 18 May 2024) is every domestic flight. There is no T3, and Bishoftu is not open. category: terminal - label: Food title: Refill in T2 washrooms — no published bottle tariff detail: >- Fountain filtration is unpublished. Cravings is a live T2 airside bar (Aug 2023 fascia). Ethiopian lists duty-free, jewelry, coffee and “international brand” restaurants without a public price list — skip SEO bottle ETB figures. Buy a sealed bottle landside if you want certainty before security. summary: >- T2 restroom drinking fountains are the free refill; lounge water is the quality pick. Do not invent an airside bottle price. category: food - label: Lounge title: Plaza Premium for PP — Cloud Nine is Business only detail: >- Cloud Nine: onward Business from ADD, 24/7, opposite Gate A13. ShebaMiles Platinum / Star Gold: same A13 cluster, 24/7 (room overhauled Dec 2025). Sheba Silver is a separate T2 airside room on the FIDS — Silver status, not PP. T1 Premier is the domestic room from May 2024. Pay-per-use is signed on T2 FIDS next to Skylight Hotel. summary: >- Priority Pass is Plaza Premium (T2 after security, 24 h listing, showers, max 2 h). Cloud Nine and Platinum at A13 are airline rooms, not PP. category: status lounges: - name: Plaza Premium Lounge zone: 'Airside after security, Level 2 toward Gates A/B' hours: '00:00–23:59 daily (Priority Pass); max stay 2 hours; under-2 free' access: - Priority Pass - Pay-per-use / day pass bestFor: - Priority Pass holders on a T2 international wait - Showers after a long haul - Red-eyes (true 24-hour listing) summary: >- Independent T2 card lounge after security on Level 2 toward the A/B gates. Priority Pass lists 00:00–23:59, max stay 2 hours, children under 2 free, showers. Do not confuse it with Cloud Nine at A13. T2 FIDS also signs a Pay-Per Use Lounge next to the Skylight In-Terminal Hotel. verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 2 (International) amenities: - Showers - >- Buffet / complimentary drinks (Priority Pass lists alcohol as complimentary) - Wi-Fi / flight screens - PRM access - name: Ethiopian Cloud Nine Lounge zone: Airside opposite Gate A13 hours: 24 hours daily access: - Ethiopian Cloud Nine / Business Class (onward from ADD) bestFor: - Ethiopian Business departing ADD - Long T2 connections with a Cloud Nine boarding pass summary: >- Ethiopian’s Business room opposite Gate A13 — onward Cloud Nine from ADD, not Priority Pass and not a walk-up. Official airport page: after security (or after immigration for joining/transit). Open 24/7. Eligible passengers should skip Plaza Premium unless this room is full. verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 2 (International) amenities: - Airline buffet / bar - Wi-Fi / workspace - Showers (operator listing) - name: ShebaMiles Platinum / Star Alliance Gold Lounge zone: Airside at Gate A13 hours: 24 hours daily access: - Star Alliance Gold - ShebaMiles Platinum bestFor: - ShebaMiles Platinum - Star Alliance Gold on a Star-operated flight summary: >- Ethiopian’s top-tier / Star Gold room in the same A13 cluster as Cloud Nine. Official page: ShebaMiles Platinum Lounge near Gate A13, 24/7. A Dec 2025 overhaul refreshed the room — still airline/alliance entitlement, not Priority Pass. verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 2 (International) amenities: - Airline buffet - Wi-Fi / workspace - Showers (operator listing) - name: Sheba Silver Lounge zone: Airside — follow ET-Sheba/Silver Lounge FIDS access: - ShebaMiles Silver bestFor: - ShebaMiles Silver with no Cloud Nine boarding pass summary: >- Separate T2 airside Silver room. Live FIDS (Dec 2022 and Dec 2024) still points to ET-Sheba/Silver Lounge as its own destination, distinct from Cloud Nine / Platinum at A13. Silver status only — not Priority Pass. Smaller and snack-led versus the A13 premium rooms. verdict: depends terminal: Terminal 2 (International) amenities: - Snacks / drinks - Wi-Fi / seating - name: T1 Premier Lounge zone: Airside T1 after domestic security access: - Ethiopian Airlines Premier cabin / elite status bestFor: - Domestic Ethiopian premium / status passengers in T1 summary: >- Domestic T1 room that came with the 18 May 2024 hall. Airline/status entitlement on the domestic side — not Plaza Premium and not a T2 international connection room. Hours and walk-up tariff are unpublished; do not invent a day-pass price. verdict: depends terminal: Terminal 1 (Domestic) amenities: - Domestic buffet / drinks - Wi-Fi waterOptions: - kind: refill name: T2 washroom drinking fountains zone: airside summary: >- The free refill on the international side. Filtration is unpublished — use a bottle filter if you are picky. Best value because no airside bottle tariff is posted. location: Inside T2 airside restrooms off the A/B/C concourse after security terminal: Terminal 2 isBestValue: true - kind: free name: Lounge water zone: airside price: Included with lounge access summary: >- Sealed or poured water once you are in Plaza Premium, Cloud Nine, Platinum or Sheba Silver. Quality pick if you already hold access. location: 'Plaza Premium Level 2, or Cloud Nine / Platinum opposite Gate A13' terminal: Terminal 2 isBestQuality: true - kind: purchase name: Landside arrivals / check-in shops zone: landside price: Buy a sealed bottle before security — no posted ETB tariff summary: >- Certainty pick if you do not want to trust the airside fountains. Ethiopian does not publish a bottle price; skip leftover SEO ETB figures. location: 'T2 landside check-in hall shops before security, near the island desks' terminal: Terminal 2 airportistScore: 7.1 slug: add region: Africa --- > Markdown for [/airports/add](/airports/add). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/add) - [Lounge directory](/airports/add/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia · Africa Africa’s best-connected Star Alliance hub is close to the city and well-lounged, but T2 immigration, slow Wi-Fi and no rail keep it a 7.1 rather than a slam-dunk. ## Airportist Score **7.1 / 10** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 7.0 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 7.2 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 6.8 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 7.6 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 6.6 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 7.4 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: 12,099,516 (2024) - Terminals: 2 (T1 domestic, T2 international) - Typical security: 20 min - On-time: 0% - Disruption: normal ## Best for - Ethiopian / Star Alliance connections across Africa - Priority Pass showers in Plaza Premium - Short 6 km hop to Bole Road / the city ## Watch out for - T2 immigration queues on the evening bank - No metro / no airport LRT — taxi or Ride/Feres only - 22-million leftover capacity quoted as if it were 2024 traffic - Bishoftu replacement airport is not open ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/add/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/add/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/add/amenities.md) (free) - [Traveler tips](/airports/add/tips.md) (free) - [Water](/airports/add/water.md) (free) - [Full guide](/airports/add/guide.md) (free) - [Disruptions](/airports/add/disruptions.md) (free) - [Reviews](/airports/add/reviews.md) (free)