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Houari Boumediene Airport

(Redirected from RAF Maison Blanche)

Houari Boumediene International Airport (Arabic: مطار هواري بومدين الدولي, romanized: Maṭār Hawwārī Būmadyan al-Duwaliyy)[1][2][3] (IATA: ALG, ICAO: DAAG), also known as Algiers Airport or Algiers International Airport, is the main international airport serving Algiers, the capital of Algeria. It is located 9.1 NM (16.9 km; 10.5 mi) east southeast[1] of the city.

Houari Boumediene International Airport

مطار هواري بومدين الدولي (Arabic) Aéroport d'Alger - Houari-Boumédiène (French)
Terminal 1 of the airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorEGSA Alger
ServesAlgiers
LocationDar El Beida, Algiers Province
Opened1924; 100 years ago (1924)
Hub for
Time zoneCET (UTC+1)
Elevation AMSL25 m / 82 ft
Coordinates36°41′27.65″N 003°12′55.47″E / 36.6910139°N 3.2154083°E / 36.6910139; 3.2154083 (Houari Boumediene Airport)
Websitehttps://www.aeroportalger.dz/
Map
ALG is located in Algeria
ALG
ALG
Location of airport in Algeria
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
05/23 3,500 11,482 Asphalt
09/27 3,500 11,482 Asphalt
Helipads
Number Length Surface
m ft
H1 72×26 240×85 Bitumen
Statistics (2016)
Passengers7,500,000
Passenger change 15-16Increase10%
Aircraft movements?
Movements change 15-16Increase?
Sources: AIP,[1] EGSA Alger,[2] ACI's 2013 World Airport Traffic Report.

The airport is named after Houari Boumediene (1932–1978), a former president of Algeria. Dar El Beïda, the area where the airport is located, was known as Maison Blanche ('White House'), and the airport is called Maison Blanche Airport in much of the literature about the Algerian War of Independence. The SGSIA (French: Société de Gestion des Services et Infrastructures Aéroportuaires), more commonly known as 'Airport of Algiers', is a public company established on 1 November 2006 to manage and operate the airport. The SGSIA has 2,100 employees.

History

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The airport was created in 1924 and named Maison Blanche Airport.[4] During World War II, Maison Blanche was a primary objective of the Allied Operation Torch Eastern Task Force on 8 November 1942, and was seized 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.[citation needed]

 
Old Terminal 1 (2006-2018)

Hawker Hurricane Aircraft of No. 43 Squadron RAF, under the Command of Squadron Leader Michael Rook, landed at Maison Blanche shortly after 11.00 Hrs on 8 November, and began offensive patrols the next day. 43 Sqn remained at Maison Blanche until 13 March 1943, when the unit was deployed to Jemmapes, Constantine.[5]

Once in Allied hands, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces 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.[6] In addition, Twelfth Air Force A3 SECTION, under the command of Lt. Col Carter E. Duncan 1943/44, 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.[7] Known Allied air force combat units assigned to the airfield were:

Terminals

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Terminal 1

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The domestic terminal (Terminal 1) presents a capacity of 6 million passengers per year. It was inaugurated on 5 July 2006 by the President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The terminal holds 5000 car parking spaces, a taxi stand, a boarding area of 27,000 m2, and 14 passenger gates. Hall 2 in terminal 1 is dedicated to domestic flights, whereas hall 1 is dedicated to the Middle East, and Gulf airlines.

Terminal 2

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The charter 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. Its domestic traffic is 1.5 million passengers per year. Terminal 2 is equipped with 20 check-in desks with a cafeteria, tearoom and prayer room. The terminal also has a pharmacy, perfumery, a hairdresser, watch retailers, luggage shops, games and toys as well as a tobacco/newspaper shop. There are 900 car parking spaces, a taxi stand, a boarding area of 5,000 m2, with 7 gates, a luggage delivery area, and lounges for premium passengers.[8]

Prior to Terminal 2's opening, Terminal 3 was used for operating domestic flights. In 2007, the terminal's use changed to pilgrimage and charter flights; but since 2019 all of the charters and pilgrimage flights have been moved to terminal 2 and the former Terminal 3 will be demolished in order to build a new terminal.[9]

Terminal 4

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Terminal 4 opened on 29 April 2019.[10] Its operations began in three different stages. The first was granted to flights bound for Paris by Air Algérie. A week later, all flights to France operated by Air Algérie were transferred to the terminal. The following week, all other international flights operated by Air Algérie were transferred to the new terminal. As of May 15, the other foreign airlines also began operations in this terminal. Terminal 4 has 120 check-in points, 84 check-in counters, 9 conveyor belts and 21 telescopic gateways. With a surface area of 73 hectares which currently accommodates an additional 10 million passengers per year and is also capable of accommodating Airbus A380 type aircraft.

Airlines and destinations

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Passenger

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The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Algiers Airport:

AirlinesDestinations
Air AlgérieAbidjan, Abuja,[11] Adrar, Alicante, Amman–Queen Alia, Annaba, Bamako, Barcelona, Batna, Béchar, Beijing–Capital, Beirut, Béjaïa, Biskra, Bordeaux, Bou Saada,[12] Brussels, Cairo, Chlef, Constantine, Dakar–Diass, Damascus, Djanet, Doha,[13] Douala,[14] Dubai–International, El Bayadh,[15] El Goléa, El Oued, Frankfurt, Geneva, Ghardaïa, Hassi Messaoud, Illizi, In Amenas, In Salah, Istanbul, Jeddah, Jijel, Johannesburg–O. R. Tambo,[16] Laghouat, Lille, Lisbon, London–Heathrow, Lyon, Madrid, Marseille, Mécheria,[15] Metz/Nancy, Milan–Malpensa, Montpellier, Montréal–Trudeau, Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Niamey, Nice, Nouakchott, Oran, Ouagadougou, Ouargla, Palma de Mallorca, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Paris–Orly, Rome–Fiumicino, Sétif, Tamanrasset, Tébessa, Tiaret,[12] Timimoun, Tindouf, Tlemcen, Touggourt, Toulouse, Tunis, Vienna
Seasonal: Antalya, Basel/Mulhouse, Valencia[17]
Air CanadaSeasonal: Montréal–Trudeau[18]
Air FranceParis–Charles de Gaulle, Paris–Orly, Toulouse[19]
Seasonal: Marseille, Nice
AJetIstanbul–Sabiha Gökçen (begins 6 January 2025)[20]
ASL Airlines FranceLille, Lyon, Paris–Charles de Gaulle
British AirwaysLondon–Gatwick[21]
EgyptairCairo
EmiratesDubai–International
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi (begins 7 November 2025)[22]
FlynasJeddah, Medina
IberiaMadrid
ITA AirwaysRome–Fiumicino
LufthansaFrankfurt
NouvelairTunis
Qatar AirwaysDoha
Royal JordanianAmman–Queen Alia
SaudiaJeddah, Medina
Syrian AirDamascus[23]
Tassili AirlinesAdrar, Annaba, Béchar, Biskra, Constantine, Djanet, El Oued, Ghardaïa, Hassi Messaoud, Hassi R'Mel, Illizi, In Salah, Mascara,[24] Mécheria,[24] Nantes, Oran, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Sétif, Strasbourg, Tamanrasset, Tindouf, Tlemcen
Seasonal: El Bayadh, Laghouat, Tiaret
TransaviaLyon, Montpellier, Nantes, Paris–Orly, Toulon
Seasonal: Strasbourg
TUI fly BelgiumBrussels[25]
TunisairTunis
Turkish AirlinesIstanbul
Seasonal: Antalya
VoloteaBordeaux
VuelingAlicante, Barcelona, Marseille

Cargo

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AirlinesDestinations
Air Algérie Cargo[citation needed]Dubai–International, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London–Heathrow, Lyon, Munich, Nouadhibou, Nouakchott, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Rome–Fiumicino, Tunis
Emirates SkyCargo[26]Dubai–Al Maktoum
Swiftair[27]Marseille
Turkish Cargo[28]Istanbul

Statistics

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Departure board
 
Arrivals
 
Terminal 4
Annual passenger traffic at ALG airport. See Wikidata query.
Traffic by calendar year. Unpublished Annual Reports
Passengers Change from previous year Aircraft operations Cargo
(Million Tkm )
2018 7 975 412 +1.9%      
2017 6 241 924 +2.38%     24.80  
2016 6 093 416 +11.37%   155,661   21.59  
2015 5 400 896 +7.03%   142,683   21.90  
2014 5 021 289 +10.53%     21.66  
2013 4 492 436 +9.12%   72,676   17.50  
2012 4 082 595 +13.20%   66,423   14.93  
2011 3 543 663 +4.84%   64,191   14.83  
2010 3 372 283 -29.61%   61,066   15.91  
2009 4 370 917 +34.01%   61,554   4.32  
2008 2 884 506 +2.48%     16.98  
2007 2 813 018 -3.08%     16.57  
2006 2 899 722 -4.74%     23.57  
2005 3 037 298 -6.65%     31.62  
2004 3 236 364 -1.74%     21.44  
2003 3 292 815 +8.82%     19.09  
2002 3 002 323 +13.89%     17.98  
2001 3 419 249 +12.34%     18.35  
2000 2 997 480 +2.02%     16.65  
1999 2 936 800 -15.15%     15.40 
Traffic Forecast from 2019 to 2029 with the planned extension to 16 million per annum [1] 2017 Air Traffic Passenger number increased to 6,241,924 in Algeria, from 3.38 million in 1998 to 6.24 million in 2017, growing at an average annual rate of 4.27%.
Year Passengers Growing Average
2029 10 309 342 4,27%  
2028 9 887 161 4,27%  
2027 9 482 268 4,27%  
2026 9 093 956 4,27%  
2025 8 721 546 4,27%  
2024 8 364 386 4,27%  
2023 8 021 853 4,27%  
2022 7 693 347 4,27%  
2021 7 378 294 4,27%  
2020 7 076 143 4,27%  

Ground transport

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Car

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The distance to the center of Algiers is 20 km using the route N5 direct Bab Ezzouar. A1 also connects with N5 to the airport. Taxis service the airport to downtown Algiers.

Parking

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The airport has a 7,000 capacity with two car parks located north of the terminals.

Bus

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Buses link the airport to downtown Algiers every 30 minutes during the day with the line 100 of the Algiers's public transport buses company (ETUSA).

Subway

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The Algiers Metro Line L1 extension will connect the airport with the centre of Algiers.

Suburban rail

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Since 2019, Algiers airport has a rail station, located between terminals 1 and 2. The train connects the Algiers downtown (Agha station) to the international airport with a stopover at El Harrach train station with trains of the commuter rail network of the SNTF. The train frequency is one train every 30 minutes with a 20-minute journey time.

Hotel park

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The new Hyatt Regency Hotel opened its doors on 24 April 2019, and is located across the street from the Terminal 4 with which it is connected. It is the first hotel of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation chain in Algeria. The hotel has 320 rooms and 3 restaurants, a swimming pool and a 2,200 m2 lobby, and 13 meeting rooms.[29]

Accidents and incidents

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  • On 23 July 1968, three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijacked El Al Flight 426, a Boeing 707 that transports 48 passengers, included the hijackers, from Italy to Israel, and diverted it to the airport. They eventually released all 48 hostages unharmed.[30]
  • On 24 December 1994, Air France Flight 8969, an Airbus A300 bound for Paris, was seized by four members of Armed Islamic Group of Algeria before takeoff; three passengers were killed before departure. In Marseille, France, a special operations team of the French Gendarmerie stormed the aircraft and killed all four hijackers; 25 passengers were injured.
  • On 21 November, 2023, an Air Algerie Cargo Boeing 737-800 freighter aircraft, registration 7T-VJJ, performing flight 1208 to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, auto-rotated and struck its tail onto runway 05's surface, causing holes to open on the aircraft's fuselage's underbelly, with the flight's crew cancelling the take-off and returning to the apron. The captain and first officer, the aircraft's sole occupants, survived without any injuries. One of the pallets had been placed in the wrong compartment, a short investigation found out soon after.[31]
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  •  
    Terminal 1
  •  
    The Hall 2 of the Terminal 1
  •  
    Check-in sector Hall 1 (Terminal 1)
  •  
    Entrance to the Terminal 1
  •  
    Boarding zone
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    Public zone Terminal 1 (Hall 1)
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    Hall 2 (Terminal 1)
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    Public zone (Hall 2)
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    Exterior Hall 1 (Terminal 1)
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    Check-in sector Hall 2 (Terminal 1)
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    Terminal 4 exterior

See also

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References

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  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  1. ^ a b c (in French) AIP Archived 11 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine and Chart Archived 18 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine for Aéroport d'Alger / Houari Boumediene (DAAG) from Service d'Information Aéronautique – Algerie
  2. ^ a b (in French) Aéroport International d'Alger : HOUARI BOUMEDIENE Archived 6 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine from Établissement de Gestion de Services Aéroportuaires d'Alger (EGSA Alger)
  3. ^ (in French) Aéroport d’Alger Houari Boumediene Archived 4 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine, official website
  4. ^ airport, Algiers international. "Algiers airport". www.aeroport-alger.com. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  5. ^ Saunders,Andy (2003). No 43 'Fighting Cocks' Squadron. Osprey Publishing ISBN 1-84176-439-6.
  6. ^ File:Atcroutes-1sep1945.jpg
  7. ^ Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
  8. ^ "El MOUDJAHID.COM : Quotidien national d'information". www.elmoudjahid.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  9. ^ Rédaction. "Visitez le nouvel aéroport d'Alger". Lebouzeguenepost (in French). Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  10. ^ airport, Algiers international. "Algiers airport". www.aeroport-alger.com. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Air Algerie NW24 Douala Service Changes; Abuja Addition". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  12. ^ a b Liu, Jim. "Air Algerie S20 domestic sectors addition". Routesonline. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  13. ^ "Air Algerie Schedules August 2022 Qatar Service Launch". Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  14. ^ "AIR ALGERIE PLANS DOUALA NW23 LAUNCH". Aeroroutes. Archived from the original on 16 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  15. ^ a b Liu, Jim. "Air Algerie adds El Bayadh – Mecheria service in S20". Routesonline. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  16. ^ "Air Algerie Opens Johannesburg Reservations For late-Sep 2023 Launch". Aeroroutes. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  17. ^ "Air Algérie Resumes Algiers - Valencia in 3Q24". AeroRoutes. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  18. ^ "Air Canada NS21 International service changes as of 04OCT20 | Routesonline". Archived from the original on 9 October 2020.
  19. ^ "Direct flights from Algiers (ALG) - FlightConnections". 26 June 2023. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  20. ^ "AJet Adds Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen – Algiers Service in 1Q25". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  21. ^ "Timetables". British Airways. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  22. ^ "Etihad 2025 Network Expansion". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  23. ^ syrianair.com Archived 4 September 2023 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 27 January 2021
  24. ^ a b Liu, Jim. "Tassili Airlines adds new domestic routes in March 2020". Routesonline. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  25. ^ "TUIfly Belgium 2023 North Africa Network Additions". AeroRoutes. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  26. ^ skychain.emirates.com - View Schedule Archived 17 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 15 November 2020
  27. ^ swiftair.com - North Africa Archived 6 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 15 November 2020
  28. ^ turkishcargo.com - Flight Schedule Archived 9 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 15 November 2020
  29. ^ "L'hôtel Hyatt Regency Algiers Airport ouvre ses portes". Visas & Voyages - Algérie (in French). 24 April 2019. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  30. ^ "On this day: El Al flight 426 hijacked by PFLP". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  31. ^ "Accident: Algerie B738 at Algiers on Nov 21st 2023, rejected takeoff due to tail strike". Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
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