Addis Ababa Airport has two terminals. The buildings are clean, well-organised and quite modern.

In the transit area, there are plenty of seats in the departure gate area.

• Terminal 1– an older, smaller building serving domestic flights only, with just one restaurant
• Terminal 2– a larger, modern building used by all international flights, which fully meets the standards of a typical airport

Both terminals are right next to each other, but you can only move between them via the outdoor public area and on foot (approx. 300 metres).

Transferring between flights

Addis Ababa is primarily a hub airport. The country’s largest airline,Ethiopian Airlines, operates an extensive network of flights across the globe.

Book a flight – ethiopian.com

International <-> International

All international transfers take place exclusively in Terminal 2. You do not need to move to any other building.

After disembarking, follow the signs for ‘International Transfer ’, which will guide you to the security checkpoint. Queues for the transfer security checkpoint are usually around 20–30 minutes.

Once you’ve passed through, you’ll find yourself in the departure gates area.

On average, the actual transfer time between flights is around25 to 45 minutes.

• Luggage during a connecting flight– will be automatically transferred if both flights are on the same booking
• Security check– yes
• Passport control– no

If you did not receive your boarding pass for your connecting flight at the departure airport, please collect it from the counter before going through security Customer Service Desk.

International -> Domestic

If you are continuing on a domestic flight within Ethiopia, you must first visit the ‘Visa-on-Arrival’ counter; if you have a visa arranged in advance, proceed directly to the ‘Passport Control’ counter.

After that, collect your luggage and proceed to the public area.

Follow the signs for domestic transfers.

At the end of the international arrivals hall, there is a dedicated counter for checking in luggage for domestic flights.

Then go outside the terminal and follow the signs on foot for approximately 300 metres to the domestic terminal.

• Luggage when transferring– you must collect it and check it in again
• Security check– yes
• Passport control– yes

Free hotel accommodation during a connecting flight

If you’re flying with Ethiopian Airlines and have a stopover in Addis Ababa lasting between 8 and 24 hours, you’re always entitled to a free transit hotel.

You don’t need to make any arrangements or book in advance. You’ll receive a hotel voucher before departure, and when you transfer in Addis Ababa, simply follow the signs to the hotel.

In this case, you do not need a visa either.

We describe the detailed procedure, what the hotels are like and where they are located in the information about Ethiopian Airlines.

Security checks before departure

If you are entering the airport building from outside, you will have to go through at least two security checks.

The first takes place right at the entrance to the building and is very thorough. Only passengers are allowed into the terminal, so your flight ticket or boarding pass will also be checked.

After this security check, you’ll take the escalators up to the main departures hall with the check-in desks.

This is followed by passport control and a standard airport security check before entering the transit area.

If you are departing from gates A14–A19, you will undergo a further security check. Flights from these departure gates are mostly to countries that require airlines to implement enhanced security measures when travelling from Ethiopia – typically to Europe, the USA, Canada and Israel.