Former Sidra Airport

Military Conflict and Damage. The airstrip was situated in the heart of a major conflict zone. It was rendered unusable due to direct and collateral damage from battles between various armed factions, including the Libyan National Army (LNA), the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG), and attacks by ISIS militants in 2016. The extreme security risks and its strategic value as a military asset led to the cessation of all civil and corporate flight operations.

The airport is defunct and abandoned. Recent satellite imagery confirms the single runway is in a severe state of disrepair, with a visibly deteriorated and sand-covered surface. There are no aircraft, ground support equipment, or signs of any aviation activity. The site now exists as derelict land within the heavily secured perimeter of the Es Sider Oil Terminal, which is controlled by the Libyan National Army (LNA) and its affiliated security forces. It serves no current purpose.

The airport was a private, logistical airstrip built exclusively to serve the Es Sider Oil Terminal, one of Libya's most critical crude oil export ports. Constructed likely in the 1960s along with the terminal, its primary purpose was to facilitate the movement of personnel (engineers, technicians, executives) and time-sensitive light cargo for Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) and the international oil companies involved in the concession. It played a crucial role in the operational efficiency and maintenance of the remote oil infrastructure for decades.

There are no known or publicly discussed plans to reopen this specific airstrip. The logistical and aviation needs of the Oil Crescent region are served by the nearby and significantly larger Ras Lanuf Airport (IATA: LFO, ICAO: HLNF). Given the extensive damage, the high cost of reconstruction, and the existence of a superior alternative, reopening the former Sidra airstrip is considered economically unviable and strategically redundant. All investment focus is on securing and restoring oil production facilities.