It is the second important route after the highway connecting Addis Ababa with the port of Assab in Eretrea. The line is old and maintenance has been neglected. Ethiopia is served by an international airport at Addis Ababa, the Bole Airport. On average, about 50 thousand tons of freight is carried each year by the Ethiopian Airlines which was established in 1945. The Airline, with over thirty aircrafts, is generally considered as one of the most efficient in Africa.
Water transport is largely non-existent in Ethiopia.
Some boats do operate on Lake Tana, but the size of freight transported is insignificant. Most of the rivers are not navigable. Over 63.7 per cent of these are found in Addis Ababa, signifying that most parts of the country are inaccessible by telephone. Ethiopia's potential for hydro-electric power is considerable. The total energy consumption of Ethiopia is largely composed of traditional biomass fuels.