Airport type Public Location Taba 04L/22R 4,000 Code TCP | Operator Government Elevation AMSL 2,415 ft / 736 m 4,000 13,123 Serves Taba, Egypt | |
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Address Qesm Nwebaa, South Sinai Governorate, Egypt | ||
Taba international airport
Taba International Airport (Arabic: مطار طابا الدولي) (IATA: TCP, ICAO: HETB) is an international airport located on the Sinai Plateau, with an elevation of 2470 ft, and serves Taba, Egypt. It has only one gate from which mainly charter flights operate. The Taba VOR-DME (Ident: TBA) is located 0.43 nautical miles off the threshold of runway 22.
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History
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, it was demilitarized in 1979 with the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Then Israel's “Golden Eagle”, “Phoenix”, and “Smashing Parrot” squadrons moved out and the land there was restored to Egyptian control.
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. Egyptian taxis can take fares up to the Israel border but no further.
The airport is located 13 kilometers from Taba and 30 kilometers from Taba Heights, near El Nakb, and adjacent with Eilat, Israel. The airport was named El Nakb Airport. A new terminal building and night lighting was added and the airport was then renamed Taba International Airport in November 2000.
The airport receives charter flights. Traffic at the airport declined considerably. In 2014, the airport served 41,142 and in 2015, only 13,488 (a 67.2% decline). In 2016, it was announced that Thales Group would be modernizing Air Traffic Management at Taba International Airport.