Addis ababa: Ethiopia

[Puddywoodycat]

Has anyone been on a stop over here our used these airlines.

I'm looking at flights and it Seems this is the most common airlines to fly with. However, I'm traveling with challenging child and worry about unsafe conditions etx

I've used Ethiopian Airlines and stopped over in Bole airport. Great leather items shopping as well as the Ethiopian food <drools>.

What unsafe conditions are you worried about?

And this was back in May so quite recent experience.

The airport in Addis Ababa is fine, cafe and seating space is limited for the number of passengers but perfectly clean and safe. I found Ethiopian Airlines pretty good overall too.

Very brief stop over in 2018 on the way to Jo'burg via Kuwait and the return journey. The plane from Kuwait was a bit on the old and tatty side sand the food was a bit meh - plane from Addis to Johannesburg was a bit nicer. Addis airport was a bit old and dilapidated, and the toilets were... interesting. We weren't there long enough (thankfully) as we had a short connection both times, and I'm glad we didn't have to stay there long. Our bags were delayed for 4 days coming back too.

Ethiopian is fine. It's one of the largest airlines in Africa and uses modern planes etc.
Addis is fine as an airport. It's not as swanky as e.g. Joburg, but it's fine.

Thank you!
I'm not worried about swanky at all just basic cleanliness. Someone said loos are awful and I can navigate that and DH but I'd hate DC to pick something up.
Also read that there aren't enough chairs to sit on

The flights I'm looking at seem to have 6 hour Waits!

@constantindigestion this is what I'm concerned about! Loos....we would be there'for hours

There's a transit hotel at the airport. It could be worthwhile checking out how much a room would be for 6hrs.

We travelled via Addis in June. Airport was fine. Didn't notice manky loos. One thing you need to watch is we had to go through security again to get to the gate and they wouldn't let us take through water bought air side. We sat in a cafe until we needed to go to the gate so didn't notice what other seating was like.

If your scheduled layover is 8 hours plus you get a free hotel room. We were there over night. Was clean.

@Bandol . thank you.
I've not done such a flight for many years!
I don't know what's possible or what protocol is.

@countrygirl99 thank you.

I've been all over (including filthy hole in the ground toilet airports) and the worse airport I've been to was Stansted, blood hell on earth. I remember one small airport were I had to load my own bags! As in carry my bag onto the runway and throw it into the hold of the plane.