Taba International Airport

Taba International Airport
مطار طابا الدولي
IATA: TCP – ICAO: HETB
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Government
Serves Taba, Egypt
Location Taba
Elevation AMSL 2,415 ft / 736 m
Coordinates 29°35′16″N 34°46′41″E / 29.58778°N 34.77806°E / 29.58778; 34.77806
Map
TCP

Location of airport in Sinai

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
04L/22R 4,000 13,123 Asphalt
04R/22L
(closed)		 4,000 13,123 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF[1] GCM[2]

Taba International Airport (Arabic: مطار طابا الدولي‎‎) (IATA: TCP, ICAO: HETB) is an international airport located on the Sinai Plateau,[3] with an elevation of 2470 ft,[4] and serves Taba, Egypt. It has only one gate from which mainly charter flights operate. The Taba VOR-DME (Ident: TBA) is located 0.43 nautical miles off the threshold of runway 22.[5][6]

History

The airport was constructed by Israel in 1972 during its occupation of Sinai following the Six Day War. Known as the Etzion Air Force Base,[7] it was demilitarized in 1979 with the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Then Israel's “Golden Eagle”, “Phoenix”, and “Smashing Parrot” squadrons moved out and the land there was restored to Egyptian control.[8]

A condition of that peace treaty allows tourists to visit certain areas in Egypt, near Taba, for up to 14 days, without a visa. So from Israel and Jordan, travelers and tourists cross the border at Taba, in buses to visit resorts.[9] Egyptian taxis can take fares up to the Israel border but no further.[10]

The airport is located 13 kilometers from Taba and 30 kilometers from Taba Heights, near El Nakb, and adjacent with Eilat, Israel. The airport was named El Nakb Airport. A new terminal building and night lighting[11] was added and the airport was then renamed Taba International Airport in November 2000.[3]

The airport receives charter flights.[12] Traffic at the airport declined considerably. In 2014, the airport served 41,142 and in 2015, only 13,488 (a 67.2% decline).[13] In 2016, it was announced that Thales Group would be modernizing Air Traffic Management at Taba International Airport.[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Airport information for HETB at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
  2. ↑ Airport information for TCP at Great Circle Mapper.
  3. 1 2 "Tours in Egypt- Discover Taba". Always Egypt.
  4. ↑ "Israel Air Force". Aeroflight.
  5. ↑ TBA VOR
  6. ↑ SkyVector Aeronautical Charts
  7. ↑ Schubert, Frank N. Building Air Bases in the Negev: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Israel 1979-1982 (PDF). p. 13.
  8. ↑ "Bases". The Israeli Air Force.
  9. ↑ DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Egypt. DK. February 2, 2016. ISBN 9781465453204.
  10. ↑ "Taba International Airport". Airport Authority.
  11. ↑ DGS Heathrow Reference Catalogue Idman AFL (PDF). Safe Gate. p. 24.
  12. ↑ Smith, Oliver (May 4, 2011). "Taba Heights, Egypt: the perfect break" (Travel). Telegraph (UK). Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  13. ↑ "Egypt: air travel's sensitivity to geopolitical events shows in falling international seat numbers". Centre for Aviation. April 5, 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  14. ↑ "Thales Modernises Air Traffic Management at Egypt's Hurghada and Taba International Airports". Thales Group. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
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