Addis Ababa Airport

Customer Reviews

No Skytrax Rating
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Queuing Times 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Staff 12345
Customer rating from 163 reviews
3/10
No Skytrax Rating
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4/10

"one of the world worst airports"

(Thailand)

Verified Review | Certainly one of the world worst airports, overcrowded, chaotic, old, with non-functioning escalators, badly located screens, miserable announcements, undisciplined queuing for security checks, and worst of all, a place where loosing your luggage has a high probability. I passed 16 times in 6 years through this airport (8 return trips), lost my luggage twice.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitNovember 2017
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"terminal is dark, dirty, and chaotic"

(United States)

Unverified | Transiting Addis Ababa in business class. First time flying Ethiopian Airlines - and I'm very impressed with their business class service. But their hub at Addis Ababa is the worst airport I've ever visited and that includes grass strips in small South Pacific islands. I must truly rethink ever traveling using Ethiopian Airlines to transit at Addis Ababa Airport. The terminal is dark, dirty, and chaotic. The personnel are helpful, but certainly don't go overboard in their efforts. The real zenith of the Addis experience is Ethiopian's "Business Lounge." Not really a lounge at all. Just a separate collection of your average airport chairs arranged in no particular order. There is no food, no beverages, no entertainment (other than the other fliers in the lounge.) The bathrooms are below average indesign, upkeep, and cleanliness and are located outside the "lounge." You must temporarily surrender your passport to leave for the adjacent bathroom (even though the bathrooms are solely for the use of "lounge" customers.) In other words, the terminal has all the latest in African logistics and amenities. Overall, I rate it on the level of a bad Greyhound Bus station. The good Greyhound Bus stations are far superior.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitOctober 2017
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"One of the worst airports"

(United States)

Unverified | One of the worst airports I have ever flown into or out of. Do not bring kids here. Not a good place for families. Security takes forever both times. Immigration is as long or longer than security. Once you get through the first security and immigration there are a few restaurants they are all bad. There are no seats to take a break. The airport is too small for the number of people. The toilet facilities remind me of facilities that were in use 40 years ago in the developed world. Then after the second security screening there is no water and you have to wait in more lines like sardines in a can. I was so happy to leave this place.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitOctober 2017
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"dirty waiting areas"

(United States)

Unverified | Passed through this airport two times during Oct '17. I have never seen such a slipshod operation in my life. Busses from planes to terminals don't even drop passengers at same door, multiple security screenings for transit passengers, dirty waiting areas without access to restrooms, airport personel too rude to answer questions (vacant stares or noncommittal shrugs for the most part). I believe a group of 5 year old children could do about as good of a job running this airport as the present staff.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitOctober 2017
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"dirty, inefficient, smelly, old"

(Italy)

Verified Review | If possible avoid having to pass through here for more than an hour. My flight was delayed by over 3 hours and the only info I got was through sms from Ethiopian Airlines for an over 3 hour delay. Arriving in the early morning is total chaos and you will not be able to find a seat, let alone a couch to lie down. There are a few scattered in dirty prison like rooms. Security checks, new body scanner but old convoy belt so shoes, clothes, computers all go together. In few words, dirty, inefficient, smelly, old.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitOctober 2017
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"Avoid at all costs"

(United Kingdom)

Verified Review | We were transit at this airport from Cape Town to Dublin , we were given a transit time of 50 minutes and during that time we were ferried to the Addis Ababa terminal where we had to go through security again. The airport was crowded with limited signs telling you where to go and Muslim men were praying openly on one floor and again the same for Muslim women on another in what was public ground. When we got to our gate there were people queuing in a normal fashion in couples or small families behind each other and then up the sides of each line people would ignore the queue and race to the front so the queue resulted in a continuing mob at the front and a long line. My partner decided to ask if we could be rushed through as we would miss our flight he returned and a little later a Ethiopian line steward told me to get in line, I was standing next to my partner she pushed me and said one behind the other that is how we queue while everyone around was at least two fold again she ignored our pleas and let people behind us up to the queue in front. I knew in Addison Abbas I had no rights as a woman and had to accept the assault and may I warn you there is no complaints line. Avoid at all costs.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitAugust 2017
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Airport Staff 12345
no
3/10

"plenty of seats and short walk to signed gate"

(Canada)

Unverified | Two different transits same altitude sickness. The first visit was Thursday afternoon for a short turn around. I had expected much worse from other reviews but was pleasantly surprised - toilets working, plenty of seats and short walk to signed gate. We brought snacks so no need to purchase food and Ethiopian Air had fed us well. I felt horrible coming off the plane but thought it was the 13 hour plane trip I had just completed. In contrast, the second time we arrived at 9.30pm on a Saturday and it was a overcrowded, overheated and lacking fresh air. For me personally it was hellish as my low blood pressure combined with the high altitude kept me feeling dizzy and out of it for the whole 4 hours we were in the airport. My younger son had the same difficulty. The other two in our group were able to enjoy the amazing stream of humanity from the spot we had claimed on the floor (no seats or loungers available). If you are looking for an adventure - go for it - but take your blanket from the plane to sit on. If you travel badly, have low blood pressure and/or just want to get efficiently from point A to Point B skip this airport.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitJuly 2017
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"I would avoid this airport at all costs"

(United States)

Verified Review | Absolutely horrific experience, both coming and going from LAX to other African destinations. Transfers required going through security again, and there were insufficient staff to handle the number of passengers. As a result, it took 60-90 minutes for business class passengers and 120 minutes for economy passengers to get through. Though business class lines were not obviously marked and not enforced. Huge lines of passengers anxious about missing their flights, leading to jostling, shoving, line cutting, etc. Departure board did not update true departure times, leading to panic, as the board would show flight departing in 5 minutes, and passengers would see scores of passengers ahead of them. As it was I think every flight was delayed by an hour or more, even as the departure board showed the plane as departed. Even with the slow security, the processes were unsafe, as many passengers (including me accidentally) brought through liquids. There seems to be an expansion under construction, but until it is completed I would avoid this airport at all costs.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitJuly 2017
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"It is absolutely awful"

(United Kingdom)

Verified Review | I've used Bole Airport a few times this summer. Flying in from London, a few domestic flights and flying out back to London. It is absolutely awful! Easily the worst airport I've encountered. Security is insane. Firstly on entering the airport grounds you produce your passport/ticket to the Federal Police who stop your taxi then you queue for ages to have your bags scanned to get into the airport building itself. Once that is all over you join the queue for the check in desk-which covers all Ethiopian Airlines destinations, not just yours. Eventually you're through that and ready for another pre departure security check. Pass that and you're airside. There are a few gift shops resembling the infamous Merkato downtown and one scarily pathetic cafe. The cafe appears to think people are willing to pay $25 for a Chinese meal or $10 for a plate of chips! (In Addis!) Once you've passed these outlets (which are basically shacks) you've got another passport/ticket check and then a bare room serving as the departure lounge. Eventually you board-and guess what? Another passport/ticket check on the way! Incidentally, don't bother trying to connect to the wifi!
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitJuly 2017
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
4/10

"to be avoided if possible"

(Thailand)

Verified Review | Addis Ababa is certainly one of the worst airports when it comes to comfort and especially to security screening. There is a Gold Track for Star Alliance passengers with Gold status, as well as business / first class passengers, but this Gold track is so badly organized and controlled that you might go faster on the normal track: chaotic queuing, bad flow of personnel during the checking, insufficient number of trays for laptops, etc., creating even more chaos. Gates changing, without proper announcements, displays showing different gate numbers, you could easily miss your flight there. To be avoided if possible.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitJuly 2017
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no