DJIBOUTI: Ambouli International Airport

Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport,French: Aéroport international Ambouli (IATA: JIB, ICAO: HDAM is a joint civilian/military-use airport situated in the town of Ambouli, Djibouti. It serves the national capital, Djibouti City. The airport is located approximately 6 kilometres (5 mi) from the city centre. It occupies an area of 10 square kilometers. Beside the airport proper, this includes a V.I.P terminal for prime ministers and presidents.

The airport was opened in 1948. Originally modest-sized, the facility grew in the post-independence period after numerous successive renovation projects.

In the mid-1970s, the airport was enlarged to accommodate more international carriers, with the state-owned Air Djibouti providing regular trips to all major cities.

Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport has a single terminal building, with one departure gate and one baggage carousel. The largest non-commercial operator using the facility is the Djibouti Air Force.

As the airport is located south of Djibouti City and its runways run east–west, an airliner's landing approach is usually directly over the conurbation of the capital, when the wind is from the west.

In 2004, the airport served 182,641 passengers.

In addition to its use as a civilian airport, the following military establishments are located at the Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport:

Military of France
formerly the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion (French Foreign Legion) since 2011 in the UAE.
5th Overseas Interarms Regiment (Troupes de Marine)
Djibouti Air Base: Base aérienne 188 (BA 188) Djibouti "Colonel Massart" – French Air Force base
Escadron de chasse 3/11 Corse[2] operating 7 Mirage 2000C and 3 Mirage 2000D
Escadron de transport d'outre mer 88 Larzac flying C-160 Transall, Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma and AS555 Fennec.

BA 188 is a joint forces support establishment, which has numerous support units based there and an anti-aircraft missile section of 8 double-barrelled 20 mm anti-aircraft guns and Mistral firing posts.

United States Armed Forces (Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa)
Camp Lemonnier – formerly a base of the French Foreign Legion, the camp is located on the southern side of the airfield
Djibouti Air Force – located on the south west side of the airfield
Japan Self-Defense Forces
Deployment Air force for Counter Piracy Enforcement – operating 2 P-3C
Italian Air Force
Supporting the European Union Naval Force - operating the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator.

According to military officials, US military flights comprised over 50 per cent of the 30,000 departures and arrivals in 2014. Civilian air-traffic controllers hired by the Djiboutian government monitor the airspace over Camp Lemonnier's runways, unlike other major US military bases.

US federal aviation experts suggested that an unprofessional attitude on the part of the controllers potentially imperiled American military and civilian flights to and from the airport.

US consultants stationed at the base reported that over a three-month period, the controllers made an average of 2,378 errors per 100,000 aircraft operations, an error rate reportedly 1,700 times greater than the US standard.

FAA officials asserted that the controllers' lax attitude, which allegedly included barring drones from taking off or landing, stemmed from a belief on their part that the US drones were unreliable aircraft and dangerous weapons aimed at killing Muslims.

The Djibouti government dismissed the air controller safety allegations as exaggerations or fabrications.

US Ambassador to Djibouti Tom Kelly likewise indicated that, after asking for further improvements in aviation, progress was being registered at the airport.

Navy Capt. Kevin Bertelsen, the commanding officer at Camp Lemonnier, described work at the airbase as challenging, but similarly indicated that conditions there had ameliorated.

In 2014, the US government also signed a new twenty-year lease with the Djibouti authorities to maintain its military base at the airport.

Taxi service is available at the airport. The official taxi rate is displayed on a billboard as passengers exit the terminal building and walk towards the parking area on the right-hand side.