# Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport (JIB) > Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport (JIB/HDAM): history since 1948, runway, passenger numbers, the foreign military bases beside it, and Somali routes. Source page: https://calankii.com/en/infrastructure/djibouti-ambouli-international-airport/ Last checked: 2026-11-13 Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com) ## At a glance - **Codes:** IATA JIB, ICAO HDAM ([OurAirports, HDAM](https://ourairports.com/airports/HDAM/)). - **Runway:** one paved runway, 09/27, 10,335 feet (about 3,150 metres) long; the field is 49 feet above sea level ([OurAirports](https://ourairports.com/airports/HDAM/)). The runways run east–west, so with a westerly wind aircraft approach straight over the city ([Wikipedia, Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibouti–Ambouli_International_Airport)). - **Where:** in the town of Ambouli, about 6 km from the centre of Djibouti City, on a site of about 10 square kilometres (same source). - **Terminal:** a single terminal with one departure gate and one baggage belt (same source). - **Website:** [aeroport-jib.com](http://www.aeroport-jib.com/). ## History In 1948 a hard runway and a terminal were built at Ambouli, creating French **air base 188**, made official in July 1949. The runway was lengthened in the 1960s ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibouti–Ambouli_International_Airport)). In the mid-1970s it was enlarged for more international airlines, with the state-owned Air Djibouti flying regular routes, and it grew further after independence in 1977 through a series of renovations (same source). For the Somali community of Djibouti see [Somalis in Djibouti](/en/diaspora/djibouti/). ## Passengers In 2010 the airport served **176,861 passengers** ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibouti–Ambouli_International_Airport)). Somali carriers fly between Djibouti and Hargeisa, Mogadishu and other cities; Wikipedia lists Jubba Airways schedules and AeroRoutes reported a Djibouti–Mogadishu service from July 2024 ([AeroRoutes, June 2024](https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/240605-msjul24jibmgq); [Jubba Airways schedules](https://www.jubbaairways.com/schedules.html)). See [Airlines in Somalia](/en/economy/airlines-in-somalia/). ## A military airfield as much as a civil one Wikipedia states that military traffic makes up about **75%** of the airport's traffic ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibouti–Ambouli_International_Airport)). The forces based on or beside the field include: - **France:** the 5th Overseas Interarms Regiment, army helicopters, and the air force's base 188 with Mirage 2000-5 fighters and transport aircraft ([French Ministry of Armed Forces](https://www.defense.gouv.fr/ema/forces-prepositionnees/djibouti/dossier/les-forces-francaises-stationnees-a-djibouti)). - **United States:** **[Camp Lemonnier](/en/institutions/naval-missions-off-somalia/)**, on the south side of the airfield, a former French Foreign Legion camp that houses Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa. In 2014 the US signed a new 20-year lease ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibouti–Ambouli_International_Airport)). - **Japan:** the Japan Self-Defense Forces base set up in 2009 on a 12-hectare site next to the airport, with two P-3C aircraft and 180 personnel, its only base outside Japan, aimed at protecting Japanese ships from piracy ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibouti–Ambouli_International_Airport)). - **Italy:** the Italian Air Force, supporting the European Union's naval force against piracy off Somalia (same Wikipedia article). - **Djibouti:** the Djibouti Air Force, on the south-west side. ## Air traffic control dispute US military officials said American flights made up more than half of the airport's 30,000 departures and arrivals in 2014. Documents reported by the *Washington Post* in 2015 described US consultants counting an average of 2,378 controller errors per 100,000 operations over three months at the Djiboutian-run control tower ([Washington Post, April 2015](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/miscues-at-us-counterterrorism-base-put-aircraft-in-danger-documents-show/2015/04/30/39038d5a-e9bb-11e4-9a6a-c1ab95a0600b_story.html)). The Djibouti government called the allegations exaggerated or made up, and US officials said conditions had improved; from 2014 US Navy controllers volunteered to teach English to new Djiboutian controllers ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibouti–Ambouli_International_Airport); [Navy news](https://www.militarynews.com/norfolk-navy-flagship/news/quarterdeck/navy-air-traffic-controllers-teach-djiboutians-english/article_fcd1c57f-2cba-5acd-8cb1-9512af82b09b.html)). ## Related - [Port of Djibouti](/en/infrastructure/port-of-djibouti/) - [Airports and airstrips of Djibouti](/en/infrastructure/airports-of-djibouti/) --- I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.