Yasser Arafat International Airport

For the pre-World War II international airport in Gaza, see RAF Gaza.

Yasser Arafat International Airport (Arabic: مطار ياسر عرفات الدولي Maṭār Yāsir 'Arafāt ad-Dawli) (IATA: GZA, ICAO: LVGZ)^[1][2] was an airport in the Gaza Strip. It was located between Rafah and Dahaniya, close to the Egyptian border. The facility was built as a result of the Oslo Accords and opened on 24 November 1998 as Gaza International Airport. It served as the base of Palestinian Airlines. The airport ceased operations in 2001 during the Second Intifada. It was renamed in honour of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat following his death in 2004. The Gaza airport was progressively destroyed by Israel during the intifada and later conflicts and by looting.

Yasser Arafat International Airport مطار ياسر عرفات الدولي
The airport in 2005
IATA: GZA ICAO: LVGZ
Summary
Airport type	Defunct
Operator	Palestinian Civil Aviation Authority
Location	Gaza Strip
Opened	24 November 1998 (1998-11-24)
Closed	2001
Elevation AMSL	98 m / 320 ft
Coordinates	31°14′47″N 34°16′34″E
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 01/19 3,076 10,092 Asphalt

History

In the Oslo Accords, Israel and the Palestinians agreed to build airports in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. However, the agreements did not contain specifics, such as when the airports would be constructed or how large they would be. The Palestinians began work on a large airport in southern Gaza, which contrasted with the Israelis' expectation of a small facility suited for local flights.^[3] It was built with funding from Egypt, Spain, and Germany and was designed by Moroccan architects.^[4][5] The total cost was US$61 million.^[5] An impasse in the peace negotiations delayed the airport's opening by over a year. In the Wye River Memorandum, Israel permitted operations to begin. The airport was named Gaza International Airport and opened on 24 November 1998; Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat presided over the inauguration ceremony.^[6] Palestinian Airlines relocated to Gaza from El Arish, Egypt, and operated the first commercial flight to Amman on 5 December.^[7] On 14 December, US president Bill Clinton landed at the airport and took part in a ribbon cutting.^[8] At the time, the opening of the airport was described as evidence of progress toward Palestinian statehood and of collaboration between Israelis and Palestinians.^[9][10]

The airport was operated by the Palestinian Civil Aviation Authority.^[5] Passengers underwent security screening by Israeli soldiers at the Rafah crossing; then they took a bus to the terminal to catch their flight.^[10] Work commenced on another terminal called the south wing in 2000. Japan funded the project. The Israelis and Palestinians planned to manage security jointly in the terminal so there would be less of a need for travellers to go to the Rafah crossing.^[11]

In 1999, the airport received 90,000 passengers and more than 100 tons of cargo. As of May 2000, Palestinian Airlines linked Gaza to six cities in the region, such as Dubai and Larnaca. In addition, a handful of foreign carriers, including Royal Air Maroc and Egyptair, served the airport.^[12]

Second Intifada

The Second Intifada broke out in September 2000, and the airport saw its last flight depart in 2001.^[13] The Israeli military bombed the radar station and bulldozed the runway in December 2001. It broke up the runway again the following month.^[14] Israel feared that the Palestinians would use the airport to smuggle in weapons and militants.^[4] In March 2002, the International Civil Aviation Organization rebuked Israel for the attack on the airport.^[15]

By 2005, the facility had been renamed after Arafat, who died the year prior. Airport personnel still staffed the ticket counters and baggage areas, hoping to deter looting and further Israeli attacks.^[16][10] Construction of the south wing continued slowly.^[11] In November 2005, after the Sharm El Sheikh Summit and Israel's unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, Israel and the Palestinian Authority signed the Agreement on Movement and Access, in which they agreed to discuss reopening the airport.^[17]

Hamas rule in Gaza Strip

The pact became moot once the political organisation Hamas gained power in the Gaza Strip. In 2006, it won the Palestinian legislative election and kidnapped an Israeli soldier.^[18] The abduction sparked a conflict during which Israel bombed the airport.^[13] Buildings like the south wing, which was nearing completion, were damaged.^[11] Hamas took over the Gaza Strip the following year, and the Israelis continued to shell the airport during wars with the group.^[19]

During the 2006 conflict, Palestinian officials stopped protecting the airport.^[11] People stole equipment from the site.^[19] They also chipped away the runway and terminal to obtain rubble; the Israeli blockade of Gaza had resulted in a shortage of building materials.^[13]

Infrastructure

The total area of the airport was 450 hectares (1,100 acres).^[20] The passenger terminal was able to handle 700,000 passengers per year and was decorated with stone mosaics and Islamic paintings.^[20][21] There was also a VIP lounge, which had a golden dome modeled after the Dome of the Rock and a suite for Arafat.^[20] The asphalt runway was designated 01/19 and measured 3,076 by 45 metres (10,092 ft × 148 ft).^[1]

Gallery

• 
  Damaged building, May 2002
• 
  Ruins of Yasser Arafat International Airport
• 
  2008 satellite photo of the runway
• 
  Ruins of airport VIP lounge with gold dome
• 
  Airport tarmack being used for the UNRWA Summer Games in 2010