Washington is pushing to secure strong United States participation in the construction of Ethiopia's new USD12.5 billion Bishoftu International Airport, linking it to more Boeing aircraft for Ethiopian Airlines. And the Department of Commerce has closely engaged in pushing to secure strong United States participation," he added. Ethiopian Airlines Group has completed the prequalification stage for the engineering, procurement, construction, and financing (EPC-F) contracts covering the four main work packages of the planned airport facility. Ethiopian Airlines recently converted options for six B787-9s into firm orders with Boeing, finalising commitments first announced in 2023. Mitchell said Ethiopia's reform agenda would create "genuine opportunities" for US companies while strengthening economic ties between the United States and Ethiopia.