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Houari Boumediene International Airport (ICAO: DAAG, IATA: ALG) is the principal international gateway to Algiers, sited at Dar El Beida on the coastal plain east-southeast of the capital. Operated as a major hub for Air Algérie, it offers full ATC service, two long paved runways and ILS approaches, making it a straightforward if busy destination for simulator pilots flying into North Africa. Its history stretches back to 1924 as the wartime Maison Blanche Airport, a key Allied staging base during the North African Campaign.
Houari Boumediene Airport, also known as Algiers Airport or Maison Blanche Airport in older literature, is the main international airport serving Algiers, the capital of Algeria. It sits at Dar El Beida in Algiers Province and takes its current name from Houari Boumediene, a former president of Algeria. The field is operated as a large international hub, principally for Air Algérie, and its scale, twin long runways and full instrument approach facilities make it a notable destination for any simulator pilot planning a flight into the region.
The airport lies about 9.1 nautical miles east-southeast of central Algiers, in Algiers Province, in the area historically known as Maison Blanche ('White House'). Approach, tower, ground and clearance delivery services are all provided under the callsign 'Algiers', reflecting its status as a controlled international aerodrome handling significant civil and commercial traffic.
The airport has two physical runways. Runway 09/27 is 11,466 feet long, hard-surfaced, lit, and equipped with ILS on both directions. Runway 05/23 is approximately 11,435/11,434 feet long, hard-surfaced and lit, with ILS available on runway 23. Field elevation is 66 feet.
Algiers Approach operates on 121.4 MHz, Algiers Clearance Delivery on 127.3 MHz, Algiers Ground on 121.8 MHz, and Algiers Tower on 118.7 MHz. ILS approaches are available for runway 09/27 and for runway 23, supporting instrument arrivals in a variety of weather conditions.
The airport was established in 1924 as Maison Blanche Airport, taking its name from the surrounding area, Dar El Beïda, meaning 'White House'. During the Second World War it played a significant role in Allied operations: Hawker Hurricanes of No. 43 Squadron RAF, under Squadron Leader Michael Rook, landed at Maison Blanche shortly after 11:00 on 8 November and began offensive patrols the following day, remaining there until March 1943 before redeploying to Jemmapes, Constantine. Once in Allied hands, the airfield became a major transshipment hub for the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command, serving as a stopover on the Cairo-Dakar transport route and linking onward to Tafarquay Airport near Oran and to Tunis, as well as flying personnel and cargo to Marseille, Milan, Naples and Palermo. The Twelfth Air Force's A3 Section, under Lieutenant Colonel Carter E. Duncan, also used the airfield in 1943 and 1944 as a command and control facility, headquartering the XII Bomber Command, the XXII Tactical Air Command and the 51st Troop Carrier Wing during the North African Campaign against the German Afrika Korps. The airport was later renamed after Houari Boumediene, a former president of Algeria.
Houari Boumediene Airport is today the principal international airport of Algeria and the main hub for Air Algérie, handling a substantial volume of scheduled international and domestic traffic. It is managed by the public operator established to run the airport's services and infrastructure. The field is equipped for large commercial aircraft, with long paved runways and ILS approach capability supporting operations in a range of weather conditions.
