Amman Civil Airport

This article is about Amman's former main airport. For the current international airport, see Queen Alia International Airport.

Amman Civil Airport (IATA: ADJ, ICAO: OJAM) (Arabic: مطار عمان المدني, romanized: Maṭār ʿAmmān al-Madaniyy), commonly known as Marka International Airport, is located in Marka district, Greater Amman Municipality, Jordan, some 5 kilometres (3.1 mi; 2.7 NM) northeast of Amman's city centre.

Amman Civil Airport مطار عمان المدني Maṭār ʿAmmān al-Madaniyy
IATA: ADJ ICAO: OJAM
Summary
Airport type	Public / Military
Owner	Government
Operator	Jordan Airports Company
Serves	Amman
Location	Amman, Jordan
Hub for	Arab Wings Jordan International Air Cargo
Elevation AMSL	2,555 ft / 779 m
Coordinates	31°58′21″N 35°59′29″E
Website	jac.jo
Map
ADJ Location of airport in Jordan
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 06/24 3,275 10,745 Asphalt
Statistics (2012)
Passengers 279,219 Movements 7,090
Sources: AIP[1] and DAFIF[2][3]

Amman Civil Airport served as Amman's main airport from 1950 until 1983, when Queen Alia International Airport replaced it. Scheduled commercial passenger flights no longer serve the airport, but it still serves as Amman's main airport for general aviation. It also is an aviation education and training hub and hosts air freight operations. It serves as the home base for Arab Wings and Jordan International Air Cargo,^[4] and the Jordan Airports Company is headquartered at the airport.^[5]

History

The airport was founded in 1950 by the British as a joint military-civilian airport.^[6] It served as Jordan's main civilian airport until Queen Alia International Airport opened in 1983. In its military capacity, it served as base for the Royal Air Force (RAF). RAF units based there included:^[7]

• No. 6 Squadron RAF
• No. 14 Squadron RAF
• No. 32 Squadron RAF
• No. 33 Squadron RAF
• No. 45 Squadron RAF
• No. 73 Squadron RAF
• No. 208 Squadron RAF
• No. 249 Squadron RAF
• No. 450 Squadron RAF
• No. 651 Squadron RAF

In 2009, Jordan Airports Company officially assumed managerial and operational responsibility for Amman Civil Airport. (The company also is entrusted with the development of 8,000 dunums (8 km²; 3.1 sqmi) around Queen Alia International Airport.) In coordination with specialised international consultants, the company prepared^[when?] a comprehensive master plan for Amman Civil Airport, which includes several capital projects, and began ^[when?] the implementation of the first phase of the master plan to develop the facilities at the airport. As of 2012,^{[needs update]} several infrastructure and air side^{[clarification needed]} projects to modernise the airport had begun.

Accidents and incidents

• On 9 September 1956, a Jordan International Airlines Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando, registration JY-ABV, crashed into a hill near the airport and caught fire while trying to make an emergency landing following mechanical failures during climb out. One passenger died, but everyone else on board survived the accident.
• On 22 January 1959, Air Jordan Flight 601, a Convair CV-240-2, registration JY-ACB, crashed 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometres) northwest of Wadi-es-Sir while approaching the airport in bad weather. All five crew members and six of the 11 passengers died in the accident, making it the worst civilian plane crash on Jordanian soil. Investigators determined that the crash resulted from the pilot's decision to fly below the minimum prescribed altitude to make visual contact with the ground in adverse weather conditions.
• On 30 June 1973, Aeroflot Flight 512, a Tupolev Tu-134A, registration CCCP-65668, overran the runway on takeoff from the airport, traveled down the slope of a ravine, struck trees and a one-story concrete building 290 metres (317 yd) beyond the runway threshold, and broke into three parts, killing two crew members and seven people in the building. The other five crew members and all 78 passengers survived. Investigators determined that the crash occurred because the captain mistakenly believed that one engine had failed and the airliner's speed was dropping — in fact, both engines were working properly — and decided to abort the takeoff at a speed of 265 kilometres per hour (165 mph; 143 kn).^[8]
• On 23 September 1977, a Learjet 36A operated by Arab Wings, registration JY-AFC, struck the ground in an inverted position during takeoff approximately 8 feet (2.4 metres) north of the parallel taxiway due to fuel imbalance. All four people on board were killed.
• On 1 May 2006, a Royal Jordanian Air Academy Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee stalled and crashed while trying to make an emergency landing on Runway 06 when the plane's engine lost power during initial climb. Both pilots and their passenger died.