Gaza City's Airport: A Dream Or Reality?

Gaza City, Palestine, is a place where history and modernity, culture, and science merge to create a beautiful city in Asia. The city once had an airport, Yasser Arafat International Airport, which was located in the Gaza Strip between Rafah and Dahaniya, close to the Egyptian border. The airport was funded by various countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Japan, and Spain, and was designed and built by the Moroccan government. It was opened in 1998 and was seen as a symbol of Palestinian hopes for peace and independence. However, the airport ceased all passenger flights in 2001 during the Second Intifada and was subsequently bombed and rendered inoperable in 2002. Today, there are no active airports in Palestine, and the site of the former Yasser Arafat International Airport lies in ruins.

Yasser Arafat International Airport

The first commercial flight to depart from the airport was a Palestinian Airlines flight to Amman on 5 December 1998. Over the following year, the airport served 90,000 passengers and processed more than 100 tons of cargo. By mid-2000, foreign carriers such as Royal Air Maroc and EgyptAir had also introduced flights to Gaza. The airport was operated by the Palestinian Civil Aviation Authority and the Israeli government, with Israelis restricted to checking passports and bags.

However, the outbreak of the Second Intifada in September 2000 led to the closure of the airport the following month. Israel alternated between reopening and shutting down the airport before ultimately prohibiting all commercial air traffic on 13 February 2001. Airstrikes on 4 December 2001 destroyed the radar station and control tower, and the runway was cut on 10 January 2002, rendering the airport inoperable. The airport's destruction left Gush Katif Airport as the only serviceable runway in Gaza until it was abandoned in 2004.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) strongly condemned Israel for the attack on the airport, deeming it a violation of the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation. Despite discussions and agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in 2005 to reopen the airport, the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007 put an end to those plans. Since its closure, the airport has been looted and stripped of valuable equipment.

Gaza City airport's IATA and ICAO codes

Gaza City was once served by Yasser Arafat International Airport (Arabic: مطار ياسر عرفات الدولي Maṭār Yāsir 'Arafāt ad-Dawli), formerly known as Gaza International Airport and Dahaniya International Airport. The airport was located in the Gaza Strip, between Rafah and Dahaniya, close to the Egyptian border. It opened on 24 November 1998, and all passenger flights ceased in February 2001 during the Second Intifada.

The airport's IATA code was GZA, and its ICAO code was LVGZ. It was able to handle 700,000 passengers per year and its total area was 450 hectares (1,100 acres). The airfield served as the base of Palestinian Airlines until it was closed to passenger traffic.

The airport was built as a result of the Oslo II Agreement of 1995, with funding from Japan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Germany. It was designed by Moroccan architects and engineers funded by Morocco's King Hassan II. The total cost of construction was $86 million.

The first commercial flight to depart from the airport was a Palestinian Airlines flight to Amman on 5 December 1998. Over the following year, the airport received 90,000 passengers and processed more than 100 tons of cargo. By mid-2000, foreign carriers such as Royal Air Maroc and EgyptAir had introduced flights to Gaza as well.

Unfortunately, the airport was closed in February 2001 due to the Second Intifada. Israel bombed the radar station and control tower in December 2001 and bulldozers cut the runway in January 2002, rendering the airport inoperable. The closest public airports in the area now are Ben Gurion Airport in Israel and El Arish Airport in Egypt.

The Oslo II Agreement of 1995

Gaza City once had an airport, the Yasser Arafat International Airport, formerly known as the Gaza International Airport and Dahaniya International Airport. The airport was located in the Gaza Strip, between Rafah and Dahaniya, close to the Egyptian border.

The airport was a result of the Oslo II Agreement of 1995, which was a key agreement in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The agreement was signed in Taba, Egypt, and is therefore sometimes called the Taba Agreement. It was an interim agreement that was supposed to be the basis for subsequent negotiations and a preliminary to a comprehensive peace agreement.

The Oslo II Agreement was signed by the Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. Observers at the signing ceremony included US President Bill Clinton, as well as representatives from Russia, Egypt, Jordan, Norway, and the European Union. The agreement was ratified by the Knesset on 6 October 1995 by a vote of 61 for and 59 against.

The Oslo II Agreement divided the West Bank and Gaza Strip into three types of areas. Area A, which included major Palestinian cities, was given full civil and security control. Area B, which included Palestinian rural settlements, was given civil and security responsibilities, with Israel retaining responsibility for the security of Israelis and counter-terrorism efforts. Area C, which included Israeli settlements and most vacant territories, remained under full Israeli control.

The airport was funded by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Japan, and Spain, and was designed and built by the Moroccan government. It opened on 24 November 1998, with flights to the Middle East and North Africa. However, all passenger flights ceased in February 2001 during the Second Intifada. The airport was bombed by Israel in December 2001, and the runway was destroyed in January 2002, rendering it inoperable.

The airport's design and construction

Gaza City did have an airport, Yasser Arafat International Airport, formerly known as Gaza International Airport and Dahaniya International Airport. The airport was located in the Gaza Strip between Rafah and Dahaniya, close to the Egyptian border.

The construction of the airport was provided for in the Oslo II Agreement of 1995. The airport was funded by several countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Japan, and Spain. The total cost of construction was $86 million. The design was modelled after Casablanca Airport and was overseen by Moroccan architects and engineers funded by Morocco's King Hassan II. The construction was completed by Usama Hassan Elkhoudary (El-Khoudary for engineering and contracting) and the airport opened on November 24, 1998.

The airport was designed to handle 700,000 passengers per year and had a total area of 450 hectares (1,100 acres). The airfield served as the base for Palestinian Airlines and could accommodate large aircraft such as the Boeing 727, which could carry 145 passengers. The airport also had two smaller planes in its fleet.

The opening ceremony was a significant event, attended by prominent figures such as Yasser Arafat and former US President Bill Clinton. The event was celebrated with flights by EgyptAir, Royal Air Maroc, and other airlines showcasing their state-of-the-art aircraft. The airport was seen as a symbol of Palestinian hopes for peace and independence, and its opening was described as evidence of progress toward Palestinian statehood.

The airport was operated by the Palestinian Civil Aviation Authority and the Israeli government, with a limited Israeli security presence to monitor passports and bags. The ICAO airport code for Yasser Arafat International Airport was LVGZ, and its IATA code was GZA. These codes are used for various airport operations, baggage handling, and flight planning.

The airport's opening ceremony

Gaza City did have an airport, Yasser Arafat International Airport, formerly known as Gaza International Airport and Dahaniya International Airport. The airport was located in the Gaza Strip, between Rafah and Dahaniya, close to the Egyptian border.

The opening of the airport was seen as a symbol of Palestinian hopes for peace, independence, and progress toward statehood. It was designed to handle 700,000 passengers per year and served as the base for Palestinian Airlines. The first commercial flight to depart from the airport was a Palestinian Airlines flight to Amman on 5 December 1998.

The opening ceremony included a display of state-of-the-art aircraft from airlines such as EgyptAir and Royal Air Maroc. The ceremony was a celebration of the hard work and collaboration that went into the airport's construction and was a testament to the hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people for a brighter future.

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