Rabat–Salé Airport

Rabat–Salé Airport
مطار الرباط سلا
Aéroport international de Rabat-Salé

IATA: RBAICAO: GMME

RBA
Location of airport in Morocco

Summary
Airport type Public / Military
Operator ONDA
Location Salé, Morocco
Elevation AMSL 276 ft / 84 m
Coordinates 34°03′05″N 006°45′05″W / 34.05139°N 6.75139°W / 34.05139; -6.75139
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
03/21 3,500 11,483 Asphalt
Statistics (2015)
Passengers 705,950
Source: DAFIF[1][2]

Salé Airport or Rabat–Salé Airport (IATA: RBA, ICAO: GMME) is an international airport located in the city of Salé, serving as well its sister town Rabat,[1] the capital city of Morocco and of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region. It is a joint use public and military airport, also hosting the First Air Base of the Royal Moroccan Air Force.[1] The airport is located about 8 kilometres (5 mi) east-northeast of Rabat and about 90 km (56 mi) northeast of Casablanca.

During World War II, the airport was used as a military airfield by the United States Army Air Forces. The 319th Bombardment Group briefly flew B-26 Marauders from the airfield between 25 April - 1 June 1943. After the Americans moved out their combat units in mid-1943, the airport was used as a stopover and landing field for Air Transport Command aircraft on the Casablanca-Algiers transport route. When the war ended, control of the airfield was returned to civil authorities.

During the early years of the Cold War, the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC) used the airport as headquarters for its 5th and 316th Air Divisions. Various SAC aircraft, primarily B-47 Stratojets and KC-97 Stratofreighters used the airport until the United States Air Force withdrew from Morocco in 1957.

Facilities

Terminals

On 20 January 2012 the new Terminal 1 building was inaugurated, and the old terminal building (always called Terminal 2) closed. The terminal is 16,000 m² large and has a maximum capacity of 3.5 million passengers/year,[3] more than twice the capacity of the old terminal.[4]

The public area (arrivals exit and check-in) offers car rental agencies, banks (for Tax Free Shopping reimbursements only), ATM, café-bar with small kiosk, phone/fax service. The departure lounge offers a café-bar, duty-free shop, telephones, smoking lounge. Access to the airport is possible by taxi or Bus or private car; parking space is available.

Rabat–Salé is one of the six airports in Morocco where ONDA offers its special VIP service Salon Convives de Marque.[5]

The freight-terminal covers an area of 1360 m².

Apron

An area of 84.000 m² is available for passenger aircraft offering four jetways and 10 stands. The stands can receive 1 x Boeing 747, 3 x Boeing 737, 2 x Airbus A310 and 4 x Airbus A320.

Rabat Airport

Runway

The single runway lies in direction 03/21, and is 3,500 meters long and 45 meters wide. The airport has an ILS Class 1 certification and offers the following radionavigational aids: VORDMENDB[4]

Airlines and destinations

Public area of the new Terminal 1
RABAT Airport at night
AirlinesDestinations
Air France Paris-Charles de Gaulle
Buraq Air Tripoli (suspended)
Corendon Dutch Airlines Amsterdam
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
Jetairfly[6] Brussels, Paris-Orly, Charleroi
Royal Air Maroc Brussels, Paris-Orly, London-Gatwick, Madrid, Marseille
Seasonal: Agadir, Jeddah
Royal Air Maroc
operated by RAM Express
Casablanca
Ryanair Beauvais, Charleroi, Girona, London-Stansted, Madrid, Marseille, Rome-Ciampino
Saudia Seasonal: Jeddah
Vueling Barcelona

Ground transportation

To get from the airport to city center Rabat:

FROM the airport : 30 minutes after flight arrival. TO the airport: 3 hours before flight departure.

Incidents and accidents

References

  1. 1 2 3 Airport information for GMME from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
  2. Airport information for RBA at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
  3. Rabat–Sale Airport visited 22 January 2012
  4. 1 2 Source ONDA website about Rabat–Sale Airport visited 21 May 2008
  5. ONDA website on the VIP service, visited 17 March 2012
  6. "Jetairfly Flight Plan". Jetairfly.
  7. Accident facts taken from Aviation-safety.net website, visited on 21 May 2008
  8. Accident facts taken from Aviation-safety.net website, visited on 21 May 2008

External links

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