Kandara Airport
5 min read
Former airport in Jeddah
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Kandara Airport (IATA: XZF ICAO: OEJD) was the first airport of Saudi Arabia located within Jeddah. It was the original airport serving the cities Jeddah and Mecca in the kingdom before the construction of King Abdulaziz International Airport. It also operated the 8 wing of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) and its Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The airport handled Haji traffic alongside regular scheduled flights, and Air France had a facility at Kandara Airport for its international operations.[1][2]
History
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In 1946, Saudia was set up as an agency of the Ministry of Defense in Kandara Airport.[3] In 1952, Kandara Airport was official inaugurated and opened under the patronage of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz.[citation needed]
In 1958, the airport served as the headquarters for the Royal Saudi Air Force.[4] American McDonnell F-101 Voodoo Fighter jets and the Martin B-57C Canberra operated at the airport alongside the Douglas C-54 Skymaster and Douglas C-124 Globemaster II aircraft for military cargo operations.[4]
During the 1970s, squadrons No. 4 Squadron RSAF, No. 16 Squadron RSAF, and No. 20 under the 8 Wing were based at Kandara Airport.[5] In 1971, Kandara Airport was fitted with a new runway parallel to the pre-existing 15/33 runway.[3]
An image of Jeddah in February 1956 including the former Kandara Airport.
Al-Kandara, where the airport was located, was considered the capital of Jeddah. It was a popular place to live, because of its proximity to the airport and a seaport. It also has various facilities like hospitals, administrations and accomodations.[6]
Etymology
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The name was derived from the neighbourhood of Al-Kandara. Experts claim that it was named after Sheikh Muhammad Bin Omrah Al-Kenaidri, the tribal chief of Al-Kandarah tribe who lived in the area during the 1940s. Other claims included that the word comes from the Turkish word for shoes or bloodbath.[6]
Reason for closure
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Kandara Airport was located in the neighborhood of Kandara, close to the city center. This proximity limited the airport’s ability to expand infrastructure. Due to Kandara Airport’s deficient capacity, it experienced heavy congestion during Haji seasons peaking 600 aircraft movements per day.[1][7] In May 1981, the completion of King Abdulaziz International Airport led to the closure of Kandara Airport. The site of the former airport was later redeveloped for housing.[8]
Aircraft boneyard
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Located just outside of Kandara Airport, there was an aircraft boneyard. Aircraft such as the Douglas A-26 Invader, North American T-28 Trojan, Douglas C-54 Skymaster and the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor have been decommissioned and dumped here.[9]
Layout
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Before the 1960s, the airfield originally had two asphalt runways 15/33 10,000 feet long and 150 feet wide (1048 and 46 m) E/W 6,000 feet long and 150 feet wide (1828 and 46 m). In 1971, a second runway was constructed alongside runway 15/33.[4]
References
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