King Hussein International Airport
King Hussein International Airport مطار الملك حسين الدولي | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Passengers boarding Royal Jordanian flight at King Hussein International Airport | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Aqaba Airports Company (AAC) | ||||||||||
| Serves | Aqaba, Jordan | ||||||||||
Focus city for | Royal Jordanian | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 173 ft (53 m) | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 29°36′41.83″N 35°1′5.04″E / 29.6116194°N 35.0180667°E | ||||||||||
| Website | khiaops.com | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  AQJ Location of airport in Jordan | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Statistics (2023) | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
King Hussein International Airport, Arabic: مطار الملك حسين الدولي, (IATA: AQJ, ICAO: OJAQ), also known as Aqaba Airport, is a minor international airport located in the vicinity of a northern suburb of Aqaba, Jordan. It is the country's only civilian airport besides Amman's City Airport and Queen Alia International Airport.
Location
[edit]The location of Aqaba is unusual, for within a 15 miles (24 km) radius there are three other countries, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel. The airport has a single runway equipped with a category 1 instrument landing system (ILS). Thanks to its normally excellent weather conditions, the airport is rarely closed, though strong southerly winds bring sandstorms across the Red Sea from Egypt.[citation needed] Just across the border in Israel and nominally serving Eilat a new airport called Ramon Airport opened in 2019 despite earlier proposals to jointly develop airport infrastructure in the region following the Israel Jordan Peace Treaty of 1994.[1][2]
History
[edit]On 19 July 2026, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that several American aircraft had been struck as part of a ballistic missile attack targeting the airport, resulting in "severe damage" to multiple planes.[3] Israeli sources said that an Iranian missile had been intercepted by an American Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System with remaining fragments landing north of Eilat, just across the Israel–Jordan border, after being shot down using Israel's Iron Dome system.[4][5]
Facilities
[edit]Infrastructure
[edit]A new cargo terminal covering 6,000 square metres (65,000 sq ft) and a new cargo apron measuring 220 by 600 metres (720 by 1,970 ft) opened in January 2005. There are also separate buildings for general aviation and a Royal Pavilion – King Abdullah II owns a palace along the shoreline and regularly visits. The Royal Jordanian Air Academy are also regular visitors on land-away cross country training exercises. The airport includes also buildings for the Ayla Aviation Academy, the Aero Wings for Industry's assembly plant for light planes, the Jordan Private Jets Services (JPJets)'s private jet terminal, and the Al Baddad International Group's maintenance centre.[citation needed]
Airlines and destinations
[edit]The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Aqaba Airport:
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Belavia | Seasonal charter: Minsk[6] |
| Royal Jordanian | Abu Dhabi (begins 18 September 2026),[7] Amman–Queen Alia,[citation needed] Riyadh (begins 24 September 2026)[7] |
| Turkish Airlines | Istanbul (suspended)[8] |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Israel, Jordan plan joint Aqaba airport". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 21 June 2006. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ↑ "Israel's New Airport is Angering Jordan, a Rare Friend in the Region". Haaretz.
- ↑ "Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they fired ballistic missiles at US military aircraft in Jordan". The Times of Israel. 19 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026 – via Agence France-Presse.
- ↑ Bob, Yonah Jeremy (19 July 2026). "Hours after Iranian shrapnel lands in Israel, Zamir says IDF ready to strike back". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
- ↑ "West Asia war LIVE: Iranian missile hits Jordan's Aqaba Airport, reports Iran state media". The Hindu. 20 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
- ↑ "Belavia To Launch Charter Flights To Jordan In March". REFORM.news (formerly REFORM.by). 10 November 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- 1 2 "Royal Jordanian launch direct Aqaba flights to Riyadh, Abu Dhabi". petra.gov.jo. 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Daş, Savaş (25 April 2026). "Turkish Airlines suspends 18 international routes". Turizm Ekonomi - Turizm Haberleri - Turizm Gazetesi. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
External links
[edit]
Media related to King Hussein International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Aqaba Airports Company Official website (in English)
