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There are several airports in Djibouti serving the nation. Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport is the main entry point into the country, but there are many smaller airstrips around the country, extensively used to facilitate regional connectivity as well as humanitarian and military operations. Some of these airports are important for accessing remote areas of the country, while others are critical for coastal surveillance and emergency transportation. Djibouti is continuing to develop as an important logistics hub, with air transport infrastructure also being improved.
8 Airports In Djibouti
Several airstrips and airports in Djibouti that are affected by its unique geography are essential for travel, relief operations and economic activities in the region.
1. Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport (JIB/HDAM)
Photo: Francisco Anzola / Wikimedia Commons
Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport (JIB), located roughly 6 km from Djibouti City, is the country’s primary international gateway. It has civilian and military functions, hosting French and U.S. military bases. It has one asphalt runway of 3,150 meters, which can serve large aircraft such as Boeing 777 and C-130 military transport planes. The airport serves major airlines, including Air Djibouti, Ethiopian Airlines and Turkish Airlines, with connections to Addis Ababa, Dubai and Paris. The passenger terminal features basic facilities such as duty-free shops, a VIP lounge, and a few dining establishments.
Location: Djibouti City
2. Ali-Sabieh Airport (AII/HDAS)
Photo: max lewandowski / Pexels / Image For Representation Only
Ali-Sabieh Airport is an airport serving Ali Sabieh, a town in the Ali Sabieh Region of Djibouti near the Ethiopian border. Some 93 km (58 miles) from the city, the airports in Djibouti handle mostly regional travel, government flights and emergency landings. It has a single 1,200-meter unpaved runway and can accommodate light aircraft. Little commercial activity occurs here due to its proximity to major roads, which link Ali Sabieh to Djibouti’s capital. The airport is a key transit point for humanitarian aid operations used by NGOs and government agencies for medical evacuations. Being on the border, it also aids military and security operations.
Location: Ali Sabieh
3. Assa-Guayla Airport (HDDG)
Photo: Abdullatif Bukeni / Pexels / Image For Representation Only
Assa-Gueyla Airstrip is a small airstrip serving the remote settlement of Assa-Gueyla in northern Djibouti. The airstrip has a single dirt runway, just shy of 1,000 meters long, so it is only open to small, hardy aircraft. Being in an arid desert area, the maintenance of the runways has always been a major challenge, with winds and sandstorms regularly changing the conditions of the runway. About 120 km away, Tadjoura is the nearest major town and the airstrip and an important access point for medevac and supply delivery.
Location: Assa-Guayla
4. Dikhil Airport (HDDK)
Photo: Piotrek Wilk / Pexels / Image For Representation Only
Dikhil is a small regional airstrip that serves the town of Dikhil in southwestern among other airports in Djibouti, near the border with Ethiopia. It is simply a single gravel strip approximately 1,100 meters long used for small domestic, emergency, and government-related aircraft. Dikhil is an important trade and transport hub, so the airstrip is sometimes used for cargo deliveries and security-related flights. Its location within a few miles of Ethiopia allows the town to operate as a strategic area for border patrol operations.
Location: Dikhil
5. Herkale Airport (HDHE)
Photo: Yahye Somali / Pexels / Image For Representation Only
Herkale Airport is a remote airstrip on Djibouti’s northern coastline, near the Gulf of Aden. Due to the sparse population and inhospitable terrain, it mainly handles emergency, government and military flights. There is a single dirt runway at the airstrip, approximately 900 meters long, so only small aircraft can land there. Because of its proximity to the Bab el Mandeb Strait, the airport is used sporadically for maritime surveillance and border security patrols. It additionally aids medical evacuations and humanitarian assistance, particularly when natural disasters impact coastal communities.
Location: Herkale
6. Moucha Airport (MHI/HDMO)
Photo: Noland Live / Pexels / Image For Representation Only
Tourists and private flights use Moucha Airport, a small airstrip on Moucha Island in the Gulf of Tadjoura. The airport has a short dirt runway of about 850 m and is only suitable for small aircraft. It is primarily used for charter flights carrying visitors to the island’s beaches, coral reefs and diving sites. Most visitors come by boat from Djibouti City, so air traffic is limited and seasonal. Yet the landing strip is still an important transport criterion at a convenient hour’s flight, particularly for private aircraft and evacuation of emergencies.
Location: Moucha Island
7. Obock Airport (OBC/HDOB)
Photo: César+Mirna Choto / Pexels / Image For Representation Only
Obock Airport is a small airstrip serving the town of Obock situated on the northern shore, along the Bab el Mandeb Strait. It has a single, 1,200-meter-long, dirt runway that caters to small aircraft. Due to its proximity to very important maritime routes, it is commonly used for emergency, government, and military operations. There are no regular passenger flights, but it is occasionally used by chartered aircraft for officials and relief workers. But because of Obock’s role as a ferry hub linking Yemen and Djibouti City, conversations have been in place on upgrading the airstrip so it could sustain more reliable air transport.
Location: Obock
8. Tadjoura Airport (TDJ/HDTJ)
Photo: Robert So / Pexels / Image For Representation Only
Tadjoura Airport, the historic coastal town of Tadjoura, where one of Djibouti’s oldest settlements sits along the Gulf of Tadjoura. Lying on the ground is a single dirt runway of about 1,100 meters used for government, humanitarian and occasional private flights. While Tadjoura can reach Djibouti City via ferry service, the airstrip is still operational, providing emergency medical evacuations as well as relief transport. Lack of infrastructure, including no terminal or fuelling facilities, has prevented regular commercial services ever being established. Tadjoura is a vital regional centre, with transport and trade development projects currently underway.
Location: Tadjoura
The airports in Djibouti play an important role in its transportation, security and economic development. Many of these airfields do not possess significant infrastructure but act as lifelines for medical evacuations, humanitarian aid, and regional connectivity. Whether for international travel, military services or emergency transport, Djibouti’s airports remain vital assets in the East African nation’s burgeoning air transport scene, playing a supporting role to regional stability and development, so plan your visit with TripXL.
Cover Photo: Steve001 / Pixabay / Image For Representation Only
