Port Said Airport Explained

Port Said International Airport
Nativename:	El Gamil Airport
Iata:	PSD
Icao:	HEPS
Pushpin Map:	Egypt Sinai#Egypt
Pushpin Map Caption:	Location of airport in Sinai
Pushpin Label:	PSD
Pushpin Label Position:	right
Type:	Public
Opened:	1941
Operator:	Government
City-Served:	Port Said, Egypt
Elevation-F:	8
Elevation-M:	2
Coordinates:	31.2794°N 32.24°W
Metric-Rwy:	y
R1-Number:	10/28
R1-Length-M:	2,349
R1-Length-F:	7,707
R1-Surface:	Asphalt
Footnotes:	Source: DAFIF^[1]

Port Said Airport serves the city of Port Said, Egypt, at the north end of the Suez Canal. In 2011, the airport served 36,962 passengers (-5.5% vs. 2010).

History

The airport was previously RAF El Gamil a Royal Air Force station operational during Second World War.

The following units were here at some point:

• Detachment from No. 33 Squadron RAF between June and September 1941 with the Hawker Hurricane I
• No. 73 Squadron RAF between 6 September 1941 and 3 February 1942 with the Hurricane I, IIB & IIC along with the Curtiss Tomahawk IIB
• Detachment from No. 80 Squadron RAF between May and July 1943 with the Supermarine Spitfire VC
• Detachment from No. 89 Squadron RAF between December 1941 and August 1942 with the Bristol Beaufighter IF
• No. 94 Squadron RAF between 1 June 1942 and 14 January 1943 with the Hurricane I & IIC and the Spitfire VC
• No. 213 (Ceylon) Squadron RAF between 25 February and 6 May 1944 with the Hurricane IIC, Spitfire VC and IX
• No. 238 Squadron RAF between 13 January 1943 and 29 January 1944 with the Spitfire VB, VC & IX
• No. 250 (Sudan) Squadron RAF between 3 February and 16 April 1942 with the Tomahawk IIB and Hurricane I & IIC
• No. 451 Squadron RAAF between 4 February and 18 April 1944 with the Spitfire VC & IX

After being handed over to Egyptian authorities, El Gamil Airfield was attacked by the British Armed Forces during November 1956 as part of Operation Telescope, Suez Crisis.

Modernisation

The airport underwent a modernisation program with a partial inauguration in February 2011. The airport is seen to be vital for the coastal city and to sustain its industrial expansion plans.^[2]

Airlines and destinations

There are currently no scheduled services to and from the airport.

Accidents and incidents

• During a training flight on 15 January 2008, a Beech C90B King Air operated by the Nuclear Centre Survey crashed 500 meters from the airport while performing circuits, killing both the pilot and training pilot.^[3]

References

• Book: Jefford . C. G. . RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 . 1988 . Airlife Publishing . Shrewsbury, UK . 1-85310-053-6 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: usurped. Airport information for HEPS. https://web.archive.org/web/20190305143444/http://worldaerodata.com/wad.cgi?airport=HEPS. 2019-03-05. World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006. Source: DAFIF.
2. Web site: Port Said Airport to be inaugurated in February - Economy - Business - Ahram Online. english.ahram.org.eg. en. 2018-08-20.
3. https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?ev_id=20080122X00084&ntsbno=DCA08WA030&akey=1 Accident Report