Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport
| Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport | |||||||||||
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  JIB | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Joint (civilian and military) | ||||||||||
| Serves | Djibouti City | ||||||||||
| Location | Ambouli, Djibouti | ||||||||||
| Hub for | Daallo Airlines | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 49 ft / 15 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 11°32′46.53″N 43°09′33.14″E / 11.5462583°N 43.1592056°ECoordinates: 11°32′46.53″N 43°09′33.14″E / 11.5462583°N 43.1592056°E | ||||||||||
| Website | Official Website | ||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2009) | |||||||||||
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Source: | |||||||||||
Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport (Arabic: مطار جيبوتي الدولي, French: Aéroport international Ambouli) (IATA: JIB, ICAO: HDAM) is a joint civilian/military-use airport situated in the town of Ambouli, Djibouti. It serves the national capital, Djibouti City. The airport is located approximately 6 kilometres (5 mi) from the city centre. It occupies an area of 10 square kilometers. The airport includes a V.I.P terminal for prime ministers and presidents.
History
The airport was opened in 1948. Originally modest-sized, the facility grew in the post-independence period after numerous successive renovation projects.[1]
In the mid-1970s, the airport was enlarged to accommodate more international carriers, with the state-owned Air Djibouti providing regular trips to Air Djibouti's various destinations.[2]
Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport has a single terminal building, with one departure gate and one baggage carousel. The largest non-commercial operator using the facility is the Djibouti Air Force.
As the airport is located south of Djibouti City and its runways run east–west, an airliner's landing approach is usually directly over the conurbation of the capital, when the wind is from the west.[3]
In 2004, the airport served 182,641 passengers. [4]
Military
In addition to its use as a civilian airport, the following military establishments are located at the Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport:
- Military of France
- formerly the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion (French Foreign Legion) since 2011 in the UAE.
- 5th Overseas Interarms Regiment (Troupes de Marine)
- Djibouti Air Base: Base aérienne 188 (BA 188) Djibouti "Colonel Massart" – French Air Force base[5]
- Escadron de chasse 3/11 Corse[6] operating 7 Mirage 2000C and 3 Mirage 2000D
- Escadron de transport d'outre mer 88 Larzac flying C-160 Transall, Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma and AS555 Fennec.
BA 188 is a joint forces support establishment, which has numerous support units based there and an anti-aircraft missile section of 8 double-barrelled 20 mm anti-aircraft guns and Mistral firing posts.
- United States Armed Forces (Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa)
- Camp Lemonnier – formerly a base of the French Foreign Legion, the camp is located on the southern side of the airfield
- Djibouti Air Force – located on the south west side of the airfield
- Japan Self-Defense Forces
- Deployment Air force for Counter Piracy Enforcement – operating 2 P-3C
- Italian Air Force
- Supporting the European Union Naval Force - operating the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator.[7]
Air-traffic controllers controversy
According to military officials, US military flights comprised over 50 per cent of the 30,000 departures and arrivals in 2014. Civilian air-traffic controllers hired by the Djiboutian government monitor the airspace over Camp Lemonnier's runways, unlike other major US military bases. US federal aviation experts suggested that an unprofessional attitude on the part of the controllers potentially imperiled American military and civilian flights to and from the airport. US consultants stationed at the base reported that over a three-month period, the controllers made an average of 2,378 errors per 100,000 aircraft operations, an error rate reportedly 1,700 times greater than the US standard. FAA officials asserted that the controllers' lax attitude, which allegedly included barring drones from taking off or landing, stemmed from a belief on their part that the US drones were unreliable aircraft and dangerous weapons aimed at killing Muslims. The Djibouti government dismissed the air controller safety allegations as exaggerations or fabrications. US Ambassador to Djibouti Tom Kelly likewise indicated that, after asking for further improvements in aviation, progress was being registered at the airport. Navy Capt. Kevin Bertelsen, the commanding officer at Camp Lemonnier, described work at the airbase as challenging, but similarly indicated that conditions there had ameliorated. In 2014, the US government also signed a new twenty-year lease with the Djibouti authorities to maintain its military base at the airport.[8]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Ground transport
Taxi
Taxi service is available at the airport. The official taxi rate is displayed on a billboard as passengers exit the terminal building and walk towards the parking area on the right-hand side.
References
- ↑ airport history
- ↑ airport history
- ↑ airport information
- ↑ 2004 total passenger number
- ↑ Profile and Pictures of the French ambassador's visit to the base
- ↑ qui remplace le 4/33 Vexin (Escadron de chasse 4/33 Vexin) depuis le 3 novembre 2008, voir Air – Du «Vexin» au «Corse»
- ↑ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. November 2014. p. 26.
- ↑ "Chaos in tower, danger in skies at base in Africa". Washington Post. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ↑ Ghattas, Abir. "Yemen's No Fly Zone: Thousands of Yemenis are Stranded Abroad". Retrieved 8 April 2015.
- ↑ http://www.qatarairways.com/english_india/press-release.page?pr_id=pressrelease_230314_djibouti_launch
- ↑ http://air-djibouti.com/
External links
- Airport information for HDAM at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
- Airport information for HDAM at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
- Current weather for HDAM at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for JIB at Aviation Safety Network
