Rabat–Salé Airport

(Redirected from Rabat-Sale Airport)

Salé Airport or Rabat–Salé Airport (IATA: RBA, ICAO: GMME) is an international airport located in the city of Salé, also serving Rabat,[1] the capital city of Morocco and of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region. It is a joint use public and military airport, also hosting the First Air Base of the Royal Moroccan Air Force.[1] The airport is located about 8 kilometres (5 mi) east-northeast of Rabat and about 90 km (56 mi) northeast of Casablanca.

Rabat–Salé Airport

مطار الرباط سلا (Arabic)

Aéroport International de Rabat-Salé (French)
Summary
Airport typePublic / military
OperatorONDA
ServesSalé and Rabat, Morocco
LocationSalé, Morocco
Elevation AMSL276 ft / 84 m
Coordinates34°03′05″N 006°45′05″W / 34.05139°N 6.75139°W / 34.05139; -6.75139
Websitewww.onda.ma/en/Our-Airports/Rabat-Sale-Airport
Map
RBA is located in Morocco
RBA
RBA
Location of airport in Morocco
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
03/21 3,500 11,483 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passengers1 201 676
Passenger change 2022-2023Increase +38.01%
Source: DAFIF[1][2]

History edit

During World War II, the airport was used as a military airfield by both the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces. The 319th Bombardment Group briefly flew B-26 Marauders from the airfield between 25 April and 1 June 1943. After the Americans moved out their combat units in mid-1943, the airport was used as a stopover and landing field for Air Transport Command aircraft on the Casablanca-Algiers transport route. When the war ended, control of the airfield was returned to civil authorities.

During the early years of the Cold War, the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC) used the airport as headquarters for its 5th and 316th Air Divisions. Various SAC aircraft, primarily B-47 Stratojets and KC-97 Stratofreighters used the airport until the United States Air Force withdrew from Morocco in 1957.

Facilities edit

Terminals edit

On 20 January 2012 the new Terminal 1 building was inaugurated, and the old terminal building (always called Terminal 2) closed. The terminal is 16,000 m2 large and has a maximum capacity of 3.5 million passengers/year,[3] more than twice the capacity of the old terminal.[4]

The public area (arrivals exit and check-in) offers car rental agencies, banks (for Tax Free Shopping reimbursements only), ATM, café-bar with small kiosk, phone/fax service. The departure lounge offers a café-bar, duty-free shop, telephones, smoking lounge. Access to the airport is possible by taxi or bus or private car; parking space is available.

Rabat–Salé is one of the six airports in Morocco where ONDA offers its special VIP service Salon Convives de Marque.[5]

The freight-terminal covers an area of 1360 m2.

In 2018, expansion work began in the airport.[6] It is estimated that after the expansion the airport will be able to host 4 million passengers.

Apron edit

An area of 84.000 m2 is available for passenger aircraft offering four jetways and 10 stands. The stands can receive 1 × Boeing 747, 3 × Boeing 737, 2 × Airbus A310 and 4 × Airbus A320.

Runway edit

The single runway lies in direction 03/21, and is 3,500 meters long and 45 meters wide. The airport has an ILS Class 1 certification and offers the following radionavigational aids: VOR, DME, and NDB.[4]

Airlines and destinations edit

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Rabat–Salé Airport:

AirlinesDestinations
Air Arabia Agadir, Barcelona (begins 1 May 2024) , Basel/Mulhouse (begins 4 May 2024) , Brussels (begins 3 May 2024) , Istanbul (begins 2 May 2024) , Paris–Charles de Gaulle (begins 1 May 2024)
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle
easyJet Geneva, Lyon, Nantes, Nice, Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Royal Air Maroc Brussels, Madrid, Marseille, Paris–Orly
Ryanair Barcelona, Beauvais, Bordeaux, Charleroi, London–Stansted, Madrid, Málaga, Marseille, Rome–Ciampino, Seville, Toulouse, Weeze
Transavia Paris–Orly , Montpellier (begins 3 july 2024)
TUI fly Belgium Brussels,[7] Paris–Orly
 
Public area of the new Terminal 1

Statistics edit

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
357,773 372,145
 4,02%
351,867
 5,45%
485,713
 38,04%
684,213
 40,87%
705,950
 3,18%
873,169
 23,69%
923,576
 5,77%
987,485
 6,79%
1,100,846
 22,13%
299,333
 72,81%
468,875
 56,60%
873,305
 86,26%
1,201,676
 38,01%

Incidents and accidents edit

  • On 12 July 1961, a Czech Airlines (CSA) Ilyushin Il-18 en route from Zurich Airport to Rabat–Salé Airport diverted to Casablanca Anfa Airport (GMMC) after receiving weather info indicating ground fog at Rabat–Salé. As the conditions at GMMC were also poor the captain of the plane asked permission to land at Casablanca–Nouasseur (CMN), then a USAF base. While GMMC controllers contacted American authorities the plane crashed 13 km SSW of GMMC. All 72 on board (64 passengers, 8 crew) died. The exact reason for the crash was never discovered.[8]
  • On 12 September 1961, an Air France Sud Aviation Caravelle was en route from Paris–Orly to Rabat–Salé Airport. The weather conditions at the time were non-favourable: thick fog and low visibility. The pilot informed traffic control it intended to land using the non-directional beacon (NDB). Traffic control warned the pilot that the NDB was not in-line with the runway, but this message received no response. The aircraft crashed 9 km SSW of the airport. All 77 on board (71 passengers, 6 crew) died. The exact reason was never discovered but investigators reported errors in instrument reading as the most likely reason.[9]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Airport information for GMME[usurped] from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
  2. ^ Airport information for RBA at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
  3. ^ Rabat–Sale Airport visited 22 January 2012
  4. ^ a b Source ONDA website about Rabat–Sale Airport visited 21 May 2008
  5. ^ ONDA website on the VIP service, visited 17 March 2012
  6. ^ "Aéroport international de Rabat-Salé : Vers une capacité d'accueil de 4 millions de passagers".
  7. ^ "TUIFLY BELGIUM NS23 MOROCCO NETWORK ADDITIONS".
  8. ^ Accident facts taken from Aviation-safety.net website, visited on 21 May 2008
  9. ^ Accident facts taken from Aviation-safety.net website, visited on 21 May 2008

External links edit

  Media related to Rabat-Salé Airport at Wikimedia Commons