View Full Version : Why was Dhahran airport moved to Dammam?
newscaster
24th Oct 2005, 11:15
Or I should say why was Dhahran airport shut down? many airlines still list Dhahran as the destination served via Dammam airport, so can we write Dhahran(DMM) or is such only reserved for cities with more than one airport serving them, since Dhahran's own is out is this applicable or not? or should airlines and us list the city as Dammam only and not like Seoul(ICN) or New York(JFK) etc.
opster
24th Oct 2005, 11:41
For years Dhahran (DHA) was sharred by the civilian/commercial users and the Saudi military. In the early 80's, it was decided a new airport (DMM) was needed. With lots of new oil money, the project was started. The runways and some terminals were built, but because the price of oil dropped sharply towrard the end of the 80's, the DMM project was abandoned. For years DMM was unused, until Gulf War 1(GW1). Through money available for the GW1, DMM was brought up to specs. Toward the late 90's, the Saudi military took total control of DHA. All cilvilian/commercial traffic moved their operations to DMM.
Most airlines never changed the desination because they thought it was too confusing. Who goes to Dammam?
newscaster
24th Oct 2005, 11:49
Thanks for the information, so was DHA catering mainly to traffic for Dammam that the airport was moved there? airlines should then list Dammam in their networks instead.
ironbutt57
24th Oct 2005, 13:42
No, the other way 'round...people go to Dhahran, which is served by the airport which is located in Dammam....kinda like Dulles which is outside of Washington DC...but Washington DC is still the "destination"...... Dhahran"downtown" airport is now a military field..:yuk:
I wouldnt consider the King Fahd International Airport to be in either Damman or Dhahran... Its in the middle of no where! :):)
Bahrain is more convenient for both of those cities... :)
Just to add, we call it Damman in our schedules.
Mutt.