Bahir Dar (AMECO)- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has officially opened a new terminal at the Dejazmach Belay Zeleke International Airport in Bahir Dar, inaugurating Ethiopia’s second-largest aviation facility after Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa.
Speaking at the ceremony in the Amhara regional capital, Abiy said the project had turned adversity into an opportunity, replacing an older terminal damaged during conflict with a modern facility built for future generations. He framed Bahir Dar as a historic city capable of becoming a model for development across Ethiopia and Africa, citing recent investments in industrial parks, road networks, urban corridor projects, and the major Blue Nile bridge.
Alongside the opening, the prime minister delivered two firm messages to regional officials and local residents. Addressing municipal finances, Abiy cautioned that despite its rapid infrastructure growth, Bahir Dar ranks only seventh nationally in revenue collection—a level he noted is inadequate even to cover routine maintenance of its newly constructed projects.
His primary focus, however, was a direct appeal for regional stability. Drawing on an analogy of a mother watching one child destroy what another works hard to build, Abiy warned that development would stall if “the left hand tears down what the right hand builds”.
Signalling that the Amhara region is currently fully administering its own affairs, the prime minister called on the public to unite behind economic progress and settle lingering political differences through civil dialogue. During his visit, Abiy also commended the Amhara Regional Supreme Court for adopting virtual court hearings to streamline judicial access.
