Addis Ababa 'Looks Like New York,' Ethiopia 'A Powder Keg,' Says Tweet
A video shows Addis Ababa 'like New York,' while a tweet views Ethiopia as a 'powder keg' and some say its airline surpasses Iberia.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Africa's largest airport, under construction 50 km from Addis Ababa
A video tours a boulevard in Addis Ababa that, on screen, resembles a Manhattan avenue. This image has reignited the question of how an African capital can showcase such a facade while the rest of the country, according to the tweet that sparked the debate, is a powder keg on the verge of exploding, with imminent war risks.
What lies behind the boulevard that 'looks like New York'
Contrast is key. The avenue shines; step off it, and the picture changes. Some suggest walking the adjacent streets at midnight to see the starkly different reality. Others have tried navigating the city with Google Street View and found streets with no images: outside the central axis, coverage simply disappears, according to the thread.
Ethiopian Airlines, the business propping up the narrative
What isn't a facade is aviation. About 50 km from the capital, what is presented as Africa's largest airport is being built, envisioned as a major continental hub. Some argue that Ethiopian Airlines' fleet already surpasses Iberia's, with newer aircraft. Another comment in the thread suggests that many unprofitable flights to Africa for EU airlines end up stopping over in Switzerland and Ethiopia.
The risk the video doesn't show
The uncomfortable part is the country itself. The tweet that started the debate claims development is concentrated in the capital and that the stability of the rest is fragile, with a war scenario on the table. Part of the conversation devolved into xenophobic comments that this outlet does not reproduce and that add nothing to the analysis.
While the capital boasts its skyline, the national airline reportedly has a larger fleet than Iberia, according to thread comments. No one clarifies how many of those routes will continue flying when the powder keg ceases to be a metaphor.
A video tours a boulevard in Addis Ababa that, on screen, resembles a Manhattan avenue. This image has reignited the question of how an African capital can showcase such a facade while the rest of the country, according to the tweet that sparked the debate, is a powder keg on the verge of exploding, with imminent war risks.
What lies behind the boulevard that 'looks like New York'
Contrast is key. The avenue shines; step off it, and the picture changes. Some suggest walking the adjacent streets at midnight to see the starkly different reality. Others have tried navigating the city with Google Street View and found streets with no images: outside the central axis, coverage simply disappears, according to the thread.
Ethiopian Airlines, the business propping up the narrative
What isn't a facade is aviation. About 50 km from the capital, what is presented as Africa's largest airport is being built, envisioned as a major continental hub. Some argue that Ethiopian Airlines' fleet already surpasses Iberia's, with newer aircraft. Another comment in the thread suggests that many unprofitable flights to Africa for EU airlines end up stopping over in Switzerland and Ethiopia.
- New airport: about 50 km from Addis Ababa, according to a participant
- Stated position: Africa's largest airport and continental hub
- Fleet: superior to Iberia's according to available data
The risk the video doesn't show
The uncomfortable part is the country itself. The tweet that started the debate claims development is concentrated in the capital and that the stability of the rest is fragile, with a war scenario on the table. Part of the conversation devolved into xenophobic comments that this outlet does not reproduce and that add nothing to the analysis.
While the capital boasts its skyline, the national airline reportedly has a larger fleet than Iberia, according to thread comments. No one clarifies how many of those routes will continue flying when the powder keg ceases to be a metaphor.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (25 replies).
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