(Old) Awasa Airport

The airport was closed because it was replaced by the new, larger, and more modern Hawassa International Airport. The old airport's location within the city center severely limited its potential for expansion, including runway length and terminal capacity. This restriction prevented it from handling larger jet aircraft needed to support the region's growing economic and tourism sectors. The development of the nearby Hawassa Industrial Park necessitated an airport with international capabilities, leading to the construction of the new facility further from the city center.

The airport site has been completely decommissioned and is undergoing redevelopment. The land has been repurposed for urban and industrial expansion. Satellite imagery of the location shows that new buildings and infrastructure, likely associated with the Hawassa Industrial Park or other city development projects, have been constructed over the former airport grounds, including parts of the old runway. The runway itself is partially visible but is being integrated into the new urban layout or built over entirely.

For decades, the Old Awasa Airport was the primary air link for Awasa, the capital of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR). It was a crucial hub for domestic travel, connecting the regional government, businesses, and tourists to the national capital, Addis Ababa. Operations were primarily conducted by Ethiopian Airlines, which typically used turboprop aircraft like the Fokker 50 and later the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 on the route. The airport was essential for accessing the tourist attractions of Lake Awasa and the Great Rift Valley.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening the Old Awasa Airport. Its functions have been entirely and permanently transferred to the new Hawassa International Airport. The land of the old airport has been irrevocably reallocated for urban development, making any return to aviation activities impossible.