King Abdulaziz Air Base
King Abdulaziz Air Base AMSL | |||||||||||
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King Abdulaziz Air Base (
The airbase was initially built and operated by the
During its commercial use phase from 1962 to 1999, it was one of Saudi Arabia's most influential and busy passenger airports and was commemorated on the 2nd issue 5-riyal banknotes and the 3rd issue 1-riyal banknotes. After the completion and inauguration of the King Fahd International Airport further north, the airport lost its commercial status and was once again converted for military use only; albeit by the Royal Saudi Air Force, which still uses it today.
History
During
: 29Owing to Saudi Arabia's importance, primarily its location, in 1943 the US extended lend-lease status to Saudi Arabia, one of only three
In 1945, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia agreed signed the Dhahran Air Field Agreement. This agreement permitted the U.S. to build a small air field near the Arabian American Oil Company (
Despite the end of World War II in the European theater, in 1945, President
In 1948, when the originally agreed-upon three-year post-war period of U.S. operations came to a close, the agreement was renegotiated. While the airfield had not been completed until 1946, too late to be of any benefit for World War II logistics (its original justification) it did provide benefits in the late 1940s, specifically in the context of the increasing tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. In 1949 Dhahran airfield was the only airfield in the area which could support the
On 18 June 1951, the two governments signed an agreement renewing and extending USAF usage rights at the airfield.[2]: 37
In a further renewal agreement dated 2 April 1957, the U.S. pledged to provide construction support to help the Saudis improve their commercial air facilities at the Dhahran Civil Air Terminal and to assist, advise, and train the Saudi Army, Navy, and Air Force. To accomplish the tasks of assistance and training, the United States redesignated the Military Assistance and Advisory Group, in Saudi Arabia since 1949, as the United States Military Training Mission (USMTM). The USMTM staff, with headquarters at the Dhahran terminal, consisted of three sections representing the American armed services. Each section worked with the corresponding Saudi military service.[2]: 162
Civilian
Through the 1950s, the Dhahran airfield began to emerge as a commercial transportation
The airport terminal building is one of the architectural works of
In February 1979, Pan Am commenced a route to New York City using Boeing 747SPs.[3] The passengers included Americans who worked for Aramco and Saudis studying at universities in the United States. The service ceased in February 1986; Pan Am had sold its 747SPs and did not possess another aircraft that could operate the flights nonstop.[4]
Dhahran served a significant role in the 1994 evacuation of U.S. citizens and personnel from
Military
King Abdul-Aziz Air Base has been a major RSAF airbase since the USAF left in 1962, providing air defence, tactical and strategic support for the Eastern Province and nearby regions, as well as providing aviation related technical training to RSAF personnel.
Between 1963 and 1999 the base was called Dhahran Air Base.
Between 17 September 1963 and 20 November 1963 the United States Air Force's 524th Tactical Fighter Squadron was deployed here with North American F-100 Super Sabres.
The Gulf War
A detachment of Royal Air Force Panavia Tornado GR1's from No. 31 Squadron RAF were based here during January 1991.[5]
1990s
During October 1994 the USAF
In 1999, Dhahran Air Base was renamed King Abdulaziz Air Base.
Current use
Dhahran International Airport has been transformed into a military airbase. It has been renamed King Abdulaziz Air Base and serves the purposes of the Royal Saudi Air Force. There are also a couple of VIP airlines that operate out of DHA: Aviation-Link operates one A319 and B777-200, and NEXUS Flight Operations operates one A319.
- RSAF 3 Wing:[6]
- No. 13 Squadron RSAF with the McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle and the F-15D
- No. 44 Squadron RSAF with the Bell 412EP & AB412EP
- RSAF 11 Wing:[6]
- No. 35 Squadron RSAF with the British Aerospace Jetstream 31
- No. 75 Squadron RSAF with the Panavia Tornado IDS
- No. 83 Squadron RSAF with the Tornado IDS
- Fighter Weapons School with the Tornado IDS and the McDonnell Douglas F-15SA Strike Eagle
The base hosts the annual Exercise Spears of Victory which trains personnel in air-ground, air superiority and strike missions.[7]
Accidents and incidents
- On October 19, 1950 a Douglas DC-3 crashed on takeoff from the airbase, killing one person on board and damaging the aircraft beyond repair.
- On December 30, 1956 a United States Air Force Military Air Transport Service Lockheed C-121 Constellation en route from Tripoli crashed on approach to the airfield, killing 12 of 38 on board. The cause was determined to be a combination of the inoperativity of Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) and poor visibility due to fog. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
- On April 17, 1964 Middle East Airlines Flight 444, a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III carrying 42 passengers and 7 crew, crashed 7 km offshore in the Half Moon Bay, approaching Dhahran International Airport from the south. The cause of the crash remains undetermined. All people on board lost their lives in the crash.
- On July 8, 1968, a Saudia sandstorm.
- On March 17, 1985, a Saudia . After letting everyone on the plane except the pilots disembark, the man was asked to surrender to security forces, which he refused to do. Subsequently, the aircraft was stormed; the man threw the grenade and was shot and killed.
See also
- List of airports in Saudi Arabia
- List of things named after Saudi Kings
- Saudi Aramco Residential Camp in Dhahran
- Military Air Transport Service
- List of military installations in Saudi Arabia
References
- ^ "Middle East Countries: Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, Saudi-Arabia". World Digital Library. 1955. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
- ^ .
- ^ "Houston-to-Saudi Arabia flight planned by Pan Am". Winston-Salem Journal. United Press International. 31 January 1979. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ "American Airline Suspending Service". Associated Press. 20 January 1986. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "19 Years Over Iraq". The Official RAF Annual Review 2010. Stamford: Key Publishing: 12. December 2010.
- ^ a b "Royal Saudi Air Force - Dhahran/King Abdullah Aziz Air Base) (OEDR)". Scramble.nl. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ Air Forces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. May 2023. p. 60.