Houari Boumedienne Airport
Encyclopedia
Houari Boumediene Airport , also known as Algiers Airport, is an international airport
serving Algiers
, the capital of Algeria
. It is located 9.1 NM east southeast of the city.
The airport is named after Houari Boumediene
, a former president of Algeria. Under the french rule, Dar El Beïda
, the area at which the airport is located, was known as Maison Blanche (white house) and, in much of the literature about the Algerian War of Independence
it is called Maison Blanche Airport.
The Company Management Services and Infrastructure Aéroportuaires (SGSIA), more commonly known as "Airport of Algiers", is a Public Company. It was established on 1 November 2006 to manage and operate the Airport Algiers Houari Boumediene. The SGSIA includes 2100 employees.
During World War II
, Maison Blanche Airport was a primary objective of the Allied Operation Torch
Eastern Task Force on 8 November 1942 and was sized by a combination of United States Army units, British Commandos and elements of a British Infantry Division. Opposition by Vichy French forces who defended the airport ended that same day, as orders from Admiral Darlan in Algiers were issued to cease all hostilities in North Africa.
Once in Allied hands, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Force Air Transport Command
as a major transshipment hub for cargo, transiting aircraft and personnel. It functioned as a stopover en-route to Tafarquay Airport, near Oran
or to Tunis Airport, Tunisia
on the North African Cairo
-Dakar
transport route. It also flew personnel and cargo to Marseille
, Milan
, Naples
and Palermo
, Sicily
. In addition, Twelfth Air Force used the airport as a command and control facility, headquartering its XII Bomber Command; XXII Tactical Air Command, and the 51st Troop Carrier Wing to direct combat and support missions during the North African Campaign
against the German Afrika Korps
Known Allied air force combat units assigned to the airfield were:
The Domestic Terminal (Terminal 2) renovated in 2007, has a capacity of 2.5 million passengers per year. It offers conditions of comfort and security comparable to those of Terminal 1. The domestic traffic is 1.5 million passengers per year. Terminal 2 is equipped with 20 registration desks, a cafeteria, tearoom and prayer room. The terminal also has a pharmacy, perfumery, a hairdresser, watches, luggage shops, games and toys and a tobacco/newspaper shop. There are 900 car parking spaces, a taxi stand, a boarding area of 5,000 m², with a 7 gates, luggage delivery area, and lounges for premium passengers.
The Terminal 3 was once the terminal in operating domestic flights. After 2007, the terminal is became for pilgrimage flights and charter flights.
The following airlines have scheduled services to Houari Boumediene Airport as of September 2011:
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
serving Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, the capital of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. It is located 9.1 NM east southeast of the city.
The airport is named after Houari Boumediene
Houari Boumediene
Houari Boumedienne served as Algeria's Chairman of the Revolutionary Council from 19 June 1965 until 12 December 1976, and from then on as the fourth President of Algeria to his death on 27 December 1978.- Background :Mohamed Ben Brahim Boukharouba was born near Héliopolis in the province of...
, a former president of Algeria. Under the french rule, Dar El Beïda
Dar El Beïda
Dar El Beïda is a suburb of Algiers, Algeria. It is the seat of the district with the same name. During French colonian times, it was officially called with its French name Maison Blanche , which meant the same thing as its current Arabic name: white house. It is pronounced in Classical Arabic...
, the area at which the airport is located, was known as Maison Blanche (white house) and, in much of the literature about the Algerian War of Independence
Algerian War of Independence
The Algerian War was a conflict between France and Algerian independence movements from 1954 to 1962, which led to Algeria's gaining its independence from France...
it is called Maison Blanche Airport.
The Company Management Services and Infrastructure Aéroportuaires (SGSIA), more commonly known as "Airport of Algiers", is a Public Company. It was established on 1 November 2006 to manage and operate the Airport Algiers Houari Boumediene. The SGSIA includes 2100 employees.
History
The airport was created in 1924 by naming Maison Blanche Airport.During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Maison Blanche Airport was a primary objective of the Allied Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
Eastern Task Force on 8 November 1942 and was sized by a combination of United States Army units, British Commandos and elements of a British Infantry Division. Opposition by Vichy French forces who defended the airport ended that same day, as orders from Admiral Darlan in Algiers were issued to cease all hostilities in North Africa.
Once in Allied hands, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Force Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
as a major transshipment hub for cargo, transiting aircraft and personnel. It functioned as a stopover en-route to Tafarquay Airport, near Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
or to Tunis Airport, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
on the North African Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
-Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
transport route. It also flew personnel and cargo to Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Naples
Naples International Airport
Naples Airport is the airport serving Naples, Italy. It is located north-northeast of the city in the Capodichino district of Naples. The airport has two terminal buildings: Terminal 1 is for departing travellers and Terminal 2, located away from the airfield, is used for charter operations...
and Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. In addition, Twelfth Air Force used the airport as a command and control facility, headquartering its XII Bomber Command; XXII Tactical Air Command, and the 51st Troop Carrier Wing to direct combat and support missions during the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
against the German Afrika Korps
Afrika Korps
The German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
Known Allied air force combat units assigned to the airfield were:
- 51st Troop Carrier Wing51st Troop Carrier Wing (World War II)The 51st Troop Carrier Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe. It was inactivated on 5 January 1948....
, 23 November 1942-28 March 1943 - 63d Fighter Wing63d Fighter Wing (World War II)The 63d Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Texas Air National Guard, based at Ellington Field, Texas...
, May–August 1943 - 97th Bombardment Group, 13–22 November 1942, B-17 Flying Fortress
- 301st Bombardment Group, 5–16 December 1942, B-17 Flying Fortress
- 319th Bombardment Group, 24–12 November 1942, B-26 MarauderB-26 MarauderThe Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
- 14th Fighter Group, 18–22 November 1942, P-38 LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
- 350th Fighter Group350th Fighter GroupThe 350th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the III Fighter Command, being stationed at Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945....
, May–July 1943, P-38 LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament... - 3d Reconnaissance Group3d Reconnaissance GroupThe 3d Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Twelfth Air Force, based at Pomigliano, Italy. It was inactivated on 12 September 1945-History:...
, 25 December 1942-13 June 1943, (various photo reconnaissance aircraft)
Terminals, airlines and destinations
The International Terminal (Terminal 1) presents a capacity of 6 million passengers per year. It was inaugurated on July 5, 2006 by the President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. International traffic is 2.5 million passengers per year. There are 5000 car parking spaces, a taxi stand, a boarding area of 27,000 m², with a 16 gatesThe Domestic Terminal (Terminal 2) renovated in 2007, has a capacity of 2.5 million passengers per year. It offers conditions of comfort and security comparable to those of Terminal 1. The domestic traffic is 1.5 million passengers per year. Terminal 2 is equipped with 20 registration desks, a cafeteria, tearoom and prayer room. The terminal also has a pharmacy, perfumery, a hairdresser, watches, luggage shops, games and toys and a tobacco/newspaper shop. There are 900 car parking spaces, a taxi stand, a boarding area of 5,000 m², with a 7 gates, luggage delivery area, and lounges for premium passengers.
The Terminal 3 was once the terminal in operating domestic flights. After 2007, the terminal is became for pilgrimage flights and charter flights.
The following airlines have scheduled services to Houari Boumediene Airport as of September 2011:
Cargo
- Air Algérie Cargo
- Air Express AlgeriaAir Express AlgeriaAir Express Algeria is a cargo airline based in Hassi Messaoud, Algeria. It was established in 2002 and operates domestic services and flights for oil exploration...
- Air France Cargo
- CargoluxCargoluxCargolux Airlines International S.A., trading as Cargolux, is a cargo airline with its head office on the grounds of Luxembourg – Findel Airport in Sandweiler, Luxembourg. It is one of the largest scheduled all-cargo airlines in Europe with a global network...
- DHL AviationDHL AviationDHL Aviation is a division of DHL Express responsible for providing air transport capacity. It is not a single airline but refers to several airlines owned, co-owned or chartered by DHL Express...
- FedEx Express
- Royal Air Maroc Cargo
- Royal Jordanian Cargo
- Swissport Algeria CargoSwissportSwissport International Ltd. is a Swiss company headquartered in Glattbrugg, Opfikon, Switzerland. Owned by PAI, Swissport International Ltd. provides ground services for around 100 million passengers and 3.2 million tonnes of cargo a year on behalf of some 650 client-companies in the aviation...
- Turkish Airlines Cargo
- UPS AirlinesUPS AirlinesUPS Airlines is an American cargo airline owned by United Parcel Service Inc. . The company is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Its home airport is located at Louisville International Airport...
Statistics
Passenger use, total cargo, and aircraft movements have increased since 2003.| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passengers | ||||||
| Total | 2,631,807 | 3,413,417 | 5,403,453 | 6,283,340 | 6,783,340 | 7,183,340 |
Incidents and accidents
- On 23 July 1968, three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of PalestinePopular Front for the Liberation of PalestineThe Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist organisation founded in 1967. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation Organization , the largest being Fatah...
hijackedAircraft hijackingAircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
El Al Flight 426, a Boeing 707Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
with 48 other people on board and diverted it to the airport. They eventually released all 48 hostages unharmed. - On 20 January 1981 the 52 United States embassy hostagesIran hostage crisisThe Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...
arrived at the airport after they departed TehranTehranTehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. - On 28 August 1992, a bomb at the airport killed nine people and injured 128. Several people were arrested in connection with the bombing, including Hossein Abderrahim, a member of the Islamic FIS political partyPolitical partyA political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. He was executed in 1993. In 2002, Abdelghani Ait Haddad, sentenced to death in his absence, took refuge in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
after residing in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for nine years. - On 24 December 1994 Air France Flight 8969Air France Flight 8969Air France Flight 8969 was an Air France flight that was hijacked on 24 December 1994 by the Armed Islamic Group at Algiers, where they killed three passengers, with the intention to crash it on the Eiffel tower in Paris. When the aircraft reached Marseille, the GIGN, an intervention group of the...
, an Airbus A300Airbus A300The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
bound for ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, was seized by four Islamic terrorists before take off; three passengers were killed before departure. In MarseilleMarseilleMarseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, France, a special operations team of the French Gendarmerie stormed the aircraft and killed all four hijackers; 25 passengers were injured.
External links
- Aéroport d’Alger Houari Boumediene, official website