Bishoftu / Debre Zeit - Harar Meda (HAHM)

Bishoftu is home to the Ethiopian Air Force and the Harar Meda [Harar Field] Airport (ICAO HAHM,IATA QHR). Harar Meda Airport (IATA: QHR, ICAO: HAHM) in Bishoftu is the main base for the Ethiopian Air Force. Harar Meda Airport is an airport in Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Debre Zeyit, also known as Bishoftu, is a town in Central Ethiopia, not far from the capital Addis Ababa. Harar Meda soon became known as Debre Zeyit, after the nearby town constructed to house the families of Air Force personnel. However since the late 1990s it has been officially known by the Oromo name, Bishoftu, which was its name until 1955.

The early Ethiopian Air Force moved in 1946 from Lideta Airfield in Addis Ababa to Bishoftu. Bishoftu, as a definite entity, did not come into existence until after the Second World War. Accounts of earlier travelers call the region "Adda". The initial group of 19 Swedes under Count Carl Gustaf von Rosen, who were to train the pilots and support personal, arrived from Sweden between 9 January and 16 July 1946. Both Ethiopian cadets and the Swedish instructors took part in constructing the first buildings on the base. Six Saab 91 Safir training airplanes were bought in Sweden and flown to the new airbase on 24 December 1946. On 10 November 1947, a fleet of 16 Saab-built B-17s was landed at Bishoftu by Swedish pilots. The Imperial Air Force, trained by Swedish and American personnel, had its headquarters at Debre Zeit, near Addis Ababa. It comprises a training school at Bishoftu, a central workshop at Harar Meda.

The airport has been used for civilian operations in the past, mainly when Bole Airport was unserviceable due to construction works. In 2005, the airport served 101,839 passengers.

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Air Force (FDREAF) Su-27s are based at Debre Zeit/Harar Meda air base (Ethiopia) and belong to the "Air Wing". Besides most fighters and transport aircraft of the FDREAF, the wing commands two Flanker squadrons: 5sq and 19sq, together operating some 22 Su-27SK/UBKs in total. Harar Meda Airport is located 1,876 meters above sea level. The terrain around Harar Meda Airport is flat to the northeast, but to the southwest it is hilly. The highest point in the vicinity is 2387 meters above sea level, 5.1 km west of Harar Meda Airport. Around Harar Meda Airport it is quite densely populated, with 192 inhabitants per square kilometer. The nearest major community is Bishoftu, 5.1 km northwest of Harar Meda Airport. The area around Harar Meda Airport consists mostly of agricultural land. A tropical highland climate prevails in the area. The average annual temperature in the neighborhood is 22°C. The warmest month is February, when the average temperature is 26°C, and the coldest is August, with 17°C. Average annual rainfall is 1,016 millimeters. The wettest month is August, with an average of 243 mm of precipitation, and the driest is December, with 4 mm of precipitation.

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