[4] In 1960, Ethiopian Airlines realized the runway at Lideta was too short for its new jet aircraft, the Boeing 720.

[6] The terminal houses a high tech security and baggage handling system built on more than 43,000 square meters of land.

The expansion will help in easing air traffic congestion due to an increase in international travel.

Expansion of the passenger terminal, cargo space, hangar, the runway and construction of the hotel is currently[when?]

The second phase of the expansion work will enable the airport to service 10 additional aircraft.

[15] The airport also plans to expand the apron which purportedly can solve the persistent aircraft parking problem it faces particularly during large international conferences.

At the same time, the first phase of expanding the taxiways and adding more aircraft parking was completed.

[19] According to the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, the east wing of the newly expanded airport was expected to be operational by the end of June 2018.

The whole expansion project was completed by the end of 2018, enabling the airport to accommodate up to 22 million passengers per year.

[20] On 27 January 2019, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurated the expansion to Terminal 2.

[25][26] In 2012, Ethiopian Airlines opened the first phase of its Cloud Nine Business Class Lounge at Bole International Airport.

The second phase of the lounge's construction will include a spa, private digital lockers for passengers to stow away their bags, and a traditional Ethiopian coffee corner.

[27] In 2017, Ethiopian Airlines Group announced that it signed $350 million contract with China Communications Construction to build a new hub, a part of which will be open to the public no later than June 2018.