Houari Boumediene Airport

Coordinates: 36°41′27.65″N 003°12′55.47″E / 36.6910139°N 3.2154083°E / 36.6910139; 3.2154083 (Houari Boumediene Airport)
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Houari Boumediene International Airport

مطار هواري بومدين الدولي (Arabic)
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorEGSA Alger
ServesAlgiers
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)
Map
ALG is located in Algeria
ALG
ALG
Location of airport in Algeria
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.

Houari Boumediene International Airport (Arabic: مطار هواري بومدين الدولي, romanizedMaṭār 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.

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[edit]

The airport was created in 1924 and named Maison Blanche Airport. 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.

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.[4]

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.[5] 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.[6] Known Allied air force combat units assigned to the airfield were:

Terminals[edit]

Terminal 1[edit]

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[edit]

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.[7]

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.[8]

Terminal 4[edit]

Terminal 4 opened on 29 April 2019. 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[edit]

Passenger[edit]

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

AirlinesDestinations
Air AlgérieAbidjan, Adrar, Alicante, Amman–Queen Alia, Annaba, Bamako, Barcelona, Batna, Béchar, Beijing–Capital, Beirut, Béjaïa, Biskra, Bordeaux, Bou Saada,[9] Brussels, Cairo, Chlef, Constantine, Dakar–Diass, Damascus, Djanet, Doha,[10] Douala,[11] Dubai–International, El Bayadh,[12] El Goléa, El Oued, Frankfurt, Geneva, Ghardaïa, Hassi Messaoud, Illizi, In Amenas, In Salah, Istanbul, Jeddah, Jijel, Johannesburg–O. R. Tambo,[13] Laghouat, Lille, Lisbon, London–Heathrow, Lyon, Madrid, Marseille, Mécheria,[12] Metz/Nancy, Milan–Malpensa, Montpellier, Montréal–Trudeau, Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Niamey, Nice, Nouakchott, Oran, Ouagadougou, Ouargla, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Paris–Orly, Rome–Fiumicino, Saint Petersburg,[14] Sétif, Tamanrasset, Tébessa, Tiaret,[9] Timimoun, Tindouf, Tlemcen, Touggourt, Toulouse, Tunis, Vienna
Seasonal: Antalya, Basel/Mulhouse
Air Canada Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau[15]
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Paris–Orly, Toulouse[16]
Seasonal: Marseille, Nice
ASL Airlines France Lille, Lyon, Paris–Charles de Gaulle
British AirwaysLondon–Gatwick[17]
ConviasaCaracas[18]
EgyptairCairo
EmiratesDubai–International
FlynasJeddah, Medina
IberiaMadrid
ITA Airways Rome–Fiumicino
LufthansaFrankfurt
NouvelairTunis
Qatar AirwaysDoha
Royal Jordanian Amman–Queen Alia
SaudiaJeddah, Medina
Syrian Air[19] Damascus
Tassili AirlinesAdrar, Annaba, Béchar, Biskra, Constantine, Djanet, El Oued, Ghardaïa, Hassi Messaoud, Hassi R'Mel, Illizi, In Salah, Mascara,[20] Mécheria,[20] Nantes, Oran, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Sétif, Strasbourg, Tamanrasset, Tindouf, Tlemcen
Seasonal: El Bayadh, Laghouat, Tiaret
TransaviaLyon, Montpellier, Nantes, Paris–Orly, Toulon (begins 15 July 2024)
Seasonal: Strasbourg
TUI fly Belgium Brussels[21]
TunisairTunis
Turkish AirlinesIstanbul
Seasonal: Antalya
VoloteaBordeaux
Vueling Barcelona, Marseille

Cargo[edit]

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[22] Dubai–Al Maktoum
Swiftair[23] Marseille
Turkish Cargo[24] Istanbul

Statistics[edit]

Check-in hall
Another view of the check-in hall 1
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% Increase Increase Increase
2017 6 241 924 +2.38% Increase Increase 24.80 Increase
2016 6 093 416 +11.37% Increase 155,661 Increase 21.59 Decrease
2015 5 400 896 +7.03% Increase 142,683 Increase 21.90 Increase
2014 5 021 289 +10.53% Increase Increase 21.66 Increase
2013 4 492 436 +9.12% Increase 72,676 Increase 17.50 Increase
2012 4 082 595 +13.20% Increase 66,423 Increase 14.93 Increase
2011 3 543 663 +4.84% Increase 64,191 Increase 14.83 Decrease
2010 3 372 283 -29.61% Decrease 61,066 Decrease 15.91 Increase
2009 4 370 917 +34.01% Increase 61,554 Increase 4.32 Decrease
2008 2 884 506 +2.48% Increase Increase 16.98 Increase
2007 2 813 018 -3.08% Decrease Increase 16.57 Decrease
2006 2 899 722 -4.74% Decrease Increase 23.57 Decrease
2005 3 037 298 -6.65% Decrease Increase 31.62 Increase
2004 3 236 364 -1.74% Decrease Increase 21.44 Increase
2003 3 292 815 +8.82% Increase Increase 19.09 Increase
2002 3 002 323 +13.89% Decrease Increase 17.98 Decrease
2001 3 419 249 +12.34% Increase Increase 18.35 Increase
2000 2 997 480 +2.02% Increase Increase 16.65 Increase
1999 2 936 800 -15.15% Decrease Increase 15.40Increase
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% Increase
2028 9 887 161 4,27% Increase
2027 9 482 268 4,27% Increase
2026 9 093 956 4,27% Increase
2025 8 721 546 4,27% Increase
2024 8 364 386 4,27% Increase
2023 8 021 853 4,27% Increase
2022 7 693 347 4,27% Increase
2021 7 378 294 4,27% Increase
2020 7 076 143 4,27% Increase

Ground transport[edit]

Car[edit]

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[edit]

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

Bus[edit]

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[edit]

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

Suburban rail[edit]

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[edit]

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.[25]

Accidents and incidents[edit]

  • On 23 July 1968, three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijacked El Al Flight 426, a Boeing 707 with 48 other people on board and diverted it to the airport. They eventually released all 48 hostages unharmed.
  • On 24 December 1994, Air France Flight 8969, an Airbus A300 bound for Paris, was seized by four Islamic terrorists 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.[26]

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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

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

External links[edit]