# El Nouzha Airport

El Nozha Egyptian Airport or Alexandria International Egyptian Airport (Arabic: مطار الاسكندرية الدولي المصري) (IATA: ALY, ICAO: HEAX) was an international airport of Alexandria, Egypt, 7 km (4.3 mi) southeast of the city center.

## History

The following Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force squadrons were here at some point at RAF Alexandria/Maryut:
* Alexandria
** No. 14 Squadron RFC between 19 and 23 November 1915 with Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2C
** No. 17 Squadron RFC between 11 and 18 December 1915 with B.E.2C
** No. 113 Squadron RAF between 14 and 23 March 1941 with the Bristol Blenheim IV
** No. 202 Squadron RAF between 9 April 1920 and 16 May 1921 with the Short 184
** No. 204 Squadron RAF between 22 October 1935 and 5 August 1936 with the Supermarine Scapa
** No. 228 Squadron RAF between 5 June 1939 and 16 June 1941 with the Short Sunderland I
** No. 230 Squadron RAF initially between 24 October 1935 and 30 July 1936 with the Short Singapore III then again between 6 May 1940 and 19 June 1941 with the Sunderland I
** Detachment from No. 267 Squadron RAF between September 1918 and December 1920 with the Felixstowe F.3
** No. 269 Squadron RAF between 15 September and 15 November 1919 with the Short 184
** No. 270 Squadron RAF between April and September 1919 with the Felixstowe F.3, Sopwith Baby, de Havilland DH9 and the Short 184
During World War II, RAF Maryut participated in reconnaissance and bombing missions during the North African Campaign.
* Maryut
** No. 39 Squadron RAF between 15 October and 27 December 1941 with the Martin Maryland I and the Bristol Beaufort I
** Detachment from No. 74 Squadron RAF between December 1943 and January 1944
** No. 94 Squadron RAF between 16 May and 1 June 1942 with the Curtiss Kittyhawk I
** Detachment from No. 112 Squadron RAF between June and September 1941 with the Curtiss Tomahawk I
** No. 250 (Sudan) Squadron RAF between 25 May and 13 June 1941 with the Tomahawk IIB
** No. 274 Squadron RAF between 10 September and 26 October 1941 with the Hawker Hurricane IIB
** No. 601 (County of London) Squadron AAF between 23 and 25 June 1942 with the Supermarine Spitfire VC
In 1947, RAF Maryut opened to civil aviation as El Nouzha Airport.

## Overview

The future of the airport was in doubt with the opening of Borg El Arab International Airport. In early 2011, the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation announced major plans to overhaul the airport and its facilities to ensure its future as one of the two commercial airports for Alexandria and Nile Delta region. The renovation project was expected to cost US$120 million, which would have included lengthening the main runway (04/22) by an additional 750m and the construction of a new passenger terminal to replace the existing aging facility. Due to the length of the old runways, the largest aircraft operating into the airport were the Airbus A320-200, Boeing 737-800, and McDonnell Douglas MD-90.
The airport was closed down by December 2011 to implement the expansion project and development and was scheduled to be reopened end of 2014. As of January 2016, the airport still remained closed. Satellite images showed the airports runways to be resurfaced and extended while the terminal site remains unfinished and abandoned. Since then, it has been announced officially by the government that the airport will close completely and become defunct.

## Airlines and destinations

The airport was originally closed for refurbishment and there are no longer any services. The airport previously offered services to domestic destinations within Egypt and cities across the Arab world. Egyptair and its subsidiary Egyptair Express were the largest airlines at the airport, operating over 50 weekly domestic and regional flights with a mixture of Airbus A320-200s and Embraer E-170s.
It was also served by some foreign airlines, including British Mediterranean Airways (BMED) from London–Heathrow.