Initially, the airport was equipped with a sand packed landing ground measuring 1,006 by 1,006 meters. The landing ground is depicted in a 1945 Survey of Egypt map of Jeddah. Between 1945 and 1956, two of said original runways were installed. Another runway was built in the 1960s, and a final runway sometime in 1979. The crosswind runway was inoperable by 1979, as it is depicted as being demolished. The 1980 Airports of the World book had probably reported on this airfield using older data.
Abbas Ibn Firnas Airport was operational as a major passenger airport from 1945 until May 1981. It was opened in 1939 as a military airstrip. Through its operational years, it had 4 runways. It had two original runways, one E/W crosswind runway which was closed, and one runway which was requisitioned as a taxiway. Two new runways were built between 1970 and 1980. Today, not much remains of the airport.
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re: History
🔗 Tue, 03 Feb 2026
— @Bollardant2 at Abbas Ibn Firnas Airport, Saudi Arabia Reply
Reply to @Bollardant2:
History Update
Initially, the airport was equipped with a sand packed landing ground measuring 1,006 by 1,006 meters. The landing ground is depicted in a 1945 Survey of Egypt map of Jeddah. Between 1945 and 1956, two of said original runways were installed. Another runway was built in the 1960s, and a final runway sometime in 1979. The crosswind runway was inoperable by 1979, as it is depicted as being demolished. The 1980 Airports of the World book had probably reported on this airfield using older data.
History
🔗 Tue, 08 Apr 2025
— @Bollardant2 at Abbas Ibn Firnas Airport, Saudi Arabia Reply
Abbas Ibn Firnas Airport was operational as a major passenger airport from 1945 until May 1981. It was opened in 1939 as a military airstrip. Through its operational years, it had 4 runways. It had two original runways, one E/W crosswind runway which was closed, and one runway which was requisitioned as a taxiway. Two new runways were built between 1970 and 1980. Today, not much remains of the airport.