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Taba International Airport

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Taba International Airport

مطار طابا الدولي
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorGovernment
ServesTaba, Egypt
LocationTaba
Elevation AMSL2,415 ft / 736 m
Coordinates29°35′16″N 34°46′41″E / 29.58778°N 34.77806°E / 29.58778; 34.77806
Map
TCP is located in Sinai
TCP
TCP
Location of airport in Sinai
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
04/22 4,118 13,513 Asphalt
14/32 3,392 11,130 concrete
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 2,470 ft,[4] and serves Taba, Egypt. It has only one gate from which mainly charter flights operate.

History

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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,[5] it was demilitarized in 1979 with the Egypt–Israel peace treaty. Then Israel's "Golden Eagle", "Phoenix", and "Smashing Parrot" squadrons moved out and the land there was restored to Egyptian control.[6]

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.[7] Egyptian taxis can take fares up to the Israel border but no further.[8]

The airport is located 13 kilometers from Taba and 30 kilometers from Taba Heights, near El Nakb, and adjacent to Eilat, Israel. The airport was named El Nakb Airport. A new terminal building and night lighting[9] was added and the airport was then renamed Taba International Airport in November 2000.[3]

The airport receives charter flights.[10] Traffic at the airport declined considerably. In 2014, the airport served 41,142 and in 2015, only 13,488 (a 67.2% decline).[11] In 2016, it was announced that Thales Group would be modernizing Air Traffic Management at Taba International Airport.[12]

In May 2018, it was announced that charter flights to the airport would resume, initially with flights from Poland and then from the Czech Republic.[13][14]

As of 2023, Taba Airport is served by charter flights from Katowice, Prague, Brno and Bratislava.

Airlines and destinations

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AirlinesDestinations
Egyptair Charter: Cairo[15]
Mayfair Jets Seasonal charter: České Budějovice[16]
Smartwings Seasonal charter: Brno, Prague[17]
Smartwings Poland Seasonal charter: Katowice, Warsaw-Chopin[18]
LOT Polish Airlines Seasonal charter: Warsaw-Chopin

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Airport information for HETB". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Data current as of October 2006.
  2. ^ Airport information for TCP at Great Circle Mapper.
  3. ^ a b "Tours in Egypt- Discover Taba". Always Egypt. Archived from the original on 13 November 2016.
  4. ^ "Israel Air Force". Aeroflight. Archived from the original on 23 May 2009.
  5. ^ Schubert, Frank N. Building Air Bases in the Negev: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Israel 1979–1982 (PDF). p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 December 2016.
  6. ^ "Bases". The Israeli Air Force. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013.
  7. ^ DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Egypt. DK. 2 February 2016. ISBN 9781465453204.
  8. ^ "Taba International Airport". Airport Authority. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017.
  9. ^ DGS Heathrow Reference Catalogue Idman AFL (PDF). Safe Gate. p. 24. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 November 2016.
  10. ^ Smith, Oliver (4 May 2011). "Taba Heights, Egypt: the perfect break". No. Travel. Telegraph (UK). Archived from the original on 30 September 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  11. ^ "Egypt: air travel's sensitivity to geopolitical events shows in falling international seat numbers". Centre for Aviation. 5 April 2016. Archived from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  12. ^ "Thales Modernises Air Traffic Management at Egypt's Hurghada and Taba International Airports". Thales Group. 8 March 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  13. ^ Al-Aees, Shaimaa (15 May 2018). "Tourism investors present recommendations to parliament's tourism, civil aviation committee to develop sector". Daily News Egypt. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  14. ^ "Taba, Egypt, to resume charter flights in mid-4Q18". ch-aviation.com. 11 October 2018.
  15. ^ "EgyptAir's first flight to Taba code shared with private carrier lands on Wednesday". arabianbusiness.com. 18 August 2020.
  16. ^ "Čedok nabídne v zimě chartery z Českých Budějovic do egyptské Taby | Airways.cz".
  17. ^ "Smartwings NS24 Prague – North Africa Charter Additions".
  18. ^ "Smartwings Poland Adds Warsaw – Taba Service From late-Dec 2023". AeroRoutes. 7 December 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
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