Old Amdjarass Airport

The airport was closed because it was replaced by the new, modern Amdjarass International Airport (IATA: AMJ, ICAO: HDAM). The old airport was a basic, unpaved laterite/dirt airstrip with limited capabilities. The Chadian government, under then-President Idriss Déby (whose hometown is Amdjarass), constructed the new international airport with a long, paved runway and modern facilities to handle large jet aircraft, including military transports and VIP planes. The old airstrip was rendered completely obsolete and redundant upon the inauguration of the new facility in January 2013.

The site of the old airport is now defunct and abandoned. Satellite imagery clearly shows the faint outline of the former north-south runway, which is approximately 1,200 meters long. The strip is unmaintained and is slowly being reclaimed by the surrounding arid environment. There is no remaining infrastructure, such as buildings or navigational aids, associated with the old airport. It is located less than two kilometers southeast of the new international airport's runway and is not used for any formal purpose.

Prior to the construction of the new international airport, the Old Amdjarass Airport was the primary and often sole air link to the remote capital of the Ennedi-Est region. Its operations were limited to small, propeller-driven aircraft with Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) capabilities due to its short, unpaved runway. It was critically important for administrative travel for government officials, logistical support for the military, and missions by non-governmental and humanitarian organizations (such as the UN or Doctors Without Borders/MSF) providing aid to the region. It served as a lifeline for the town before it gained strategic importance and investment.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening the Old Amdjarass Airport. Its function has been entirely superseded by the adjacent Amdjarass International Airport (HDAM), which offers far superior capabilities, including a 3,800-meter paved runway, modern terminal facilities, and the ability to handle intercontinental flights. The old airstrip is redundant, and any future aviation development in the region will be focused on the new airport.