Popular Airport | Hazrat Shahjalal Intl. Airport |
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Popular Airlines | |
Approximate Flight Duration | 7 hour |
Approximate Travel Distance | 5714 Km |
The airport, which is approximately 6 kilometers of the city center, is located on Bole Road. In the city where public transportation is not very developed, you can use minibuses to reach the airport. Taxi is another transportation alternative that is frequently preferred by visitors. In addition to these, you can get to the airport from the city center by renting a car or by benefitting from the airport shuttle service in case your hotel offers this service.
You can reach the airport by getting on a minibus from the minibus stops located in the city center. Minibuses generally carry passengers to the airport from 5:30 am to 09:00 pm. Although it is relatively cheaper compared to taxi, you should remember that drivers may demand higher amounts from tourists. The fare is about 5 Birr. They may also charge extra amount for each baggage.
Hotel shuttle service is the most comfortable alternative for your travel to the airport. In Addis Ababa city center, there are both small hotels and accommodation centers of chain hotels such as Hilton, Radisson and Sheraton. Some of these hotels offer airport shuttle service. If your hotel offers this service and you want to benefit from this service for your travel to the airport, you should definitely make a reservation in advance.
There are two types of taxis that you can get on to reach the airport. Mercedes taxis of the National Tour Operator (NTO) operate under a company and offer service with more comfortable vehicles. With their predetermined tariffs, they create a more reliable image in terms of the fares. You can ask your hotel to call a NTO taxi for you.
There is no taximeter in the taxis operating in Addis Ababa, so it is advised to agree on the fare before getting on. These yellow taxis are approximately 10 times more expensive than blue-white taxis. You can also reach the airport in a short time with a blue-white taxi which you can find in the city center or waiting in front of hotels. The average fare is between 80 and 100 Birr. The owners of these taxis aren’t companies but individuals. Since there is also no taximeter in blue-white taxis and fares are not standardized by a company, they are more flexible in terms of fares and you should definitely bargain.
You can rent a car from one of the car rental companies that you can find in the city center or from the offices of tour operators. You can also get help from your hotel about renting a car.
Since some roads in Addis Ababa have no name, there isn’t sufficient number of traffic signs throughout the city and there is no traffic light on many roundabouts, traffic flow isn’t in order. For this reason, renting a car during your visit may not be a good option. If you want to rent a car only for travelling to the airport from the city center, you should prefer a company which has an office at the airport.
In order to get to the airport with the car you have rented, connect to Bole Road in the city center, drive southeastward and follow the airport signs.
There are 2 terminals at the airport. Terminal 1, which offers service for domestic flights, is located in the old building. Terminal 2 offers service for international passenger transportation in the new building.
At Bole International Airport, there are many restaurants and cafes in addition to stores and a duty-free shop where you can do some shopping before your flight.
At the airport, there is also a lounge for passengers looking for a comfortable environment and a much larger lounge is now being constructed. Although there is no left luggage service at the airport, you can find other standard airport services such as pharmacy, currency exchange office and ATM.
Travelling to Dhaka from Hazrat Shahjalal Airport is practical and easy. As you can travel to the city center by renting a car with a private driver or benefitting from taxi companies; it is possible to get on a bus and reach the city center by paying 5 Taka.
The public transportation network in Dhaka isn’t very developed and the means of public transportation aren’t generally preferred because of the insufficient security measures in the city. For your transportation in the city, the most convenient and economical means of transportation that you can take advantage of during your visit are rickshaws working with taxi system.
In addition to these, you can rent a car with a driver or use buses for your shorter distance travels.
When you leave the terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal Airport and walk for 5 minutes, you will see a small bus station. From this station, buses operate at frequent intervals and carry passengers to Dhaka. The fare you need to pay in order to get one of the buses that pick passengers up on Airport Road is 5 Taka by 2016. It is difficult to find a bus after 08:00 pm because public transportation is not safe enough.
The last stop of the buses carrying passengers from the airport to the city center is the Gulistan bus terminal located in the city.
Thanks to the colorful rickshaws that you can see at the exit of the airport terminal, you can get to Dhaka city center in a very short time. There are three different types of rickshaws in terms of speed and size. There are auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws and tempo-rickshaws. These vehicles are the most popular means of transportation among tourists.
If there is too much traffic and you are in a hurry, you can get on a rickshaw. Auto-rickshaws having a fare of only 10 Taka per kilometer can be one of the most affordable and reasonable options to go to the city center from the airport.
If you want to get to Dhaka city center from Hazrat Shahjalal Airport by taxi, you need to pay approximately 400 Taka. This travel lasts an average of 30-40 minutes. Yellow Navana taxis and black taxis offer transportation service in the city. The yellow taxis are more comfortable yet more expensive than the black ones.
The most practical way to get to Dhaka city center from Hazrat Shahjalal Airport is to rent a car with a driver. You can find a car just outside the terminal building. The fact that public transportation isn’t generally preferred because of the lack of security measures directs tourists to use safer means of transportation.
You can rent a car from one of the car rental companies located at the airport or rent a car with a driver for your transportation. You can pay less if you make a reservation by contacting Dhaka Airport Car Rental company. In addition, companies such as Hertz, Europcar and Elite Car also offer service at the airport.