Airport type Public 15R/33L 3,576 Elevation 132 m | Elevation AMSL 132 m / 433 ft Code BEN | |
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Operator Civil Aviation and Meteorology Bureau Serves Benina, Benghazi, Libya Hub for Buraq Air
Libyan Airlines Address P.O Box 1, Benghazi, Libya Similar Tibesty Hotel, University of Benghazi, Al Hawary Hospital, Bank Of Commerce And Deve, U S Consulate | ||
Amazing airplane take off at benina international airport benghazi libya
Benina International Airport (IATA: BEN, ICAO: HLLB) (Arabic: مطار بنينة الدولي) serves Benghazi, Libya. It is located in the town of Benina, 19 kilometres (12 mi) east of Benghazi, from which it takes its name. The airport is operated by the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Bureau of Libya and is the second largest in the country after Tripoli International Airport. Benina International is also the secondary hub of both Buraq Air and flag carrier, Libyan Airlines. As of 17 July 2014 all flights to the airport were suspended due to fighting in the area.
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History
During World War II, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces Ninth Air Force during the Eastern Desert Campaign. Known as Soluch Airfield, it was used by the 376th Bombardment Group, which flew B-24 Liberator heavy bombers from the airfield between 22 February and 6 April 1943. Once the combat units moved west, it was used as a logistics hub by Air Transport Command. It functioned as a stopover en route to Payne Field near Cairo or to Mellaha Field near Tripoli on the North African Cairo-Dakar transport route for cargo, transiting aircraft and personnel.
A new terminal with a capacity of 5 million passengers was to be developed north of the existing runway at Benina International under a 720 million LYD (€415 million) first-stage contract awarded to Canada's SNC-Lavalin as of 2008. The final cost was estimated at 1.1 billion LYD (€630 million). As with Tripoli International Airport, the new terminal was designed by Aéroports de Paris Engineering. Preliminary work and site preparation had started as of May 2008, but it remains unclear when the terminal will be open for operation. The contract for Benina International Airport included construction of a new international terminal, runway and apron. The new airport would have been part of an extensive new infrastructure programme being undertaken by the government of Libya throughout the country.
In March 2011 (2011-03), forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi bombed the airport. No damages were reported to facilities.
The airport has been closed since 16 May 2014, due to clashes in the area between militias and forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar. As of 1 August 2014 international airlines had suspended all flights to Libya. As of 5 August 2015 the airport was closed to passenger traffic.
Airlines and destinations
As of December 2015, Air Libya operated out of Benina International Airport and operates flights to Tripoli, Alexandria, Kufra and Tunis while Libyan Airlines operates to Amman and Kufra.