Addis Ababa Airport

My experience was bad - the toilets need improving as there were not enough for all customers. Lots of people were sleeping on the floor while waiting in transit. No ATM machines to be seen anywhere. The bank was closed. Places to charge phones or laptop were very few.

This airport is disgraceful, especially considering the fact that it is the main hub of Ethiopian Airlines, all their flights into, out of, and within Africa would pass through here. Some poorer African countries actually have better airports. Completely dilapidated, toilets are very few and dirty, lack of places to eat, and those few restaurants all serve bland, overpriced food. Nothing much when it comes to shopping. Checkpoints are chaotic, limited seats for economy class passengers - what else? I spent 6 hours here on arrival and departure (I was on connecting flights to other destinations), and both times I was miserable. Nothing worse than having a long layover in a horrible airport after a long haul flight. Consider the layover times if you are considering flying Ethiopian air to destinations in Africa.

Easy to transit. People available to let you know but is rather poorly looked after and can feel chaotic. But go with the flow and all will generally be good. I was able to use the lounge and that was very busy and the toilets crowded and lots of water on the floor but was cleaned quite often. Announcements are not easy to always understand. Was using the exit to buses to planes - plenty of flights waiting at the same time just wait for someone to call the flight, go down the stairs, line up and get on a bus. Tends to work but not in a way you might be used to. Enjoy bumping into people from across Africa and engage with the way it operates and you should find it works. Not sure about facilities such as food shops and duty free because I didn't use them. When transiting you may be directed straight to the waiting areas where there is nothing but chairs so be aware of that although it does make the transit straightforward.

Nobody cares about this entrance into Ethiopia. It is a disgrace to wait in line with fifty passengers for one visa window. Have people no shame? What happened to good old pride of your country? Clean up this place, check every hour the toilets. Get rid of the loitering no goods. Remember the word Welcome? That has some implications.

What a terrible airport, the worst I have seen in Africa in the past 5 years. And not too long ago, it was a reasonable place. Transit passengers with no water, no food, no lounge. If you need the toilet, prepare to wait 15-30 minutes, bring your own toilet paper, and be prepared for a dirty place. While there are sometimes attendants in the lounge area, they turn away when you ask them a question. The public announcements are unintelligible. Of course there is no wifi, and the data functions of major international carriers do not work in the terminal, even if you have high-end roaming. Steel seats are very uncomfortable after three hours.

I choose Ethiopean Airlines from VIE via ADD to SEZ and back because of the reasonable ticket price. I checked the comments about ADD and they looked ok. It was the worst airport I have seen. Dirty seats, water leaking from the roof of the terminal building, awful smell everywhere. 3 people can fit in the smoking room and 30 smoke in front of it, no wifi, no connection for the credit card terminals, unorganised line ups at the rude security checks. No elevators for baby strollers, 30 mins waiting at the toilets, incorrect information on the screens, etc.. Ethiopean airlines was ok, the crew and the food were fantastic, but because of ADD airport, I will never fly with them again.

I stopped here on route from DXB to EBB (July 2015), and again on the way back to DXB. What an awful place. The facilities are adequate at best, the staff are rude and unhelpful and the prices in the shops are ridiculous. A total rip off by reference to anywhere else I have seen. I shall never use this airport again, either as a destination or for transiting.

My first ever sight of Africa (en route to Lilongwe and then car to Zambia) love the chaotic feel and different cultures passing through and I like to chat with different races. One day I would like to spend time in Addis instead of being just in transit there. Ok its not perfect but hey life would be boring without a bit of hassle. My only gripe is the toilets not enough for the amount of people passing through. I will be there again in July en route to my wife in Zambia.

I flew from Juba to LHR via Addis Christmas 2014. Reasonable airport facilities food and drink expensive souvenirs more of a rip off than usual toilets cleanish in the international terminal. Crazy part I was not allowed to take my duty free bottle of spirits bought in the airport through security. I had to either put it in my backpack and check it in to hold baggage or abandon my booze at the gate. No warning of this crazy rule at either duty free shops or at the security gate. Only airport more chaotic in the region is Juba. Not my choice of route and I only use it because it is my employers decision. Ethiopian airport staff very friendly and really do try to assist. Best part of the Addis / Heathrow flight is the fairly new Boeing Dreamliners used on that route.

A very disappointing end to a great holiday in Ethiopia. The airport is reasonably comfortable but poor facilities after check-in and everything is unbelievably expensive by any standards not just Ethiopian. Only thing reasonably priced to spend leftover money on is a coke or water for $1 otherwise forget it even a tiny fridge magnet goes for $12! Airport staff either unbelievably stupid or just plain annoying. Told me I couldn't go through security with a small bottle of water that I just bought in the duty free shop. So basically they are saying there are lots of duty free goods to buy but when you go through to board your flight they will be taken off you because they are bot permitted through security absolutely brilliant! I was forced to drink the water before going through then when boarding my flight back to London saw that the guy boarding in front of me had a half full bottle of coke in his backpack pocket. So what on earth was that all about? An airport that cannot possibly be recommended.