Comments 1 to 7 of 7
First Comment.
The name had changed from Taif Regional Airport to Taif International Airport, having international flights to multiple countries.
re: History
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
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.
A Christian trip to mecca
I've never been so would not know
Jeddah
Aamir zia from batco jeddah
jeedah airport
Ms 0669
re: History
🔗 Mon, 10 Aug 2026
— @Bollardant2 at Abbas Ibn Firnas Airport, Saudi Arabia
Reply to @Bollardant2: The Final Update
The two asphalt runways were established in 1952, parallel runway was added in 1964, and final runway was added sometime in 1979. The crosswind runway presumably closed following the 1964 expansion, and the 1979 runway replaced the one closer to the apron. Perhaps light aircraft still utilised the remaining eastern end of the crosswind runway before it was demolished, hence Stroud’s reporting of the airport in 1980.