RAF Habbaniya
| RAF Habbaniya | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
قاعدة الحبانية الجوية (Arabic: Of the oleander) | |||||||
| Habbaniya in Iraq | |||||||
Habbaniya airfield, circa 1941 | |||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Type | Flying station | ||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Iraq Command | ||||||
| Location | |||||||
| Coordinates | 33°22′56.99″N 43°34′23.71″E / 33.3824972°N 43.5732528°E | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 1934 | ||||||
| In use | 1936–1959 | ||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||
| Past commanders |
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| Airfield information | |||||||
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Royal Air Force Habbaniya, more commonly known as RAF Habbaniya (Arabic: قاعدة الحبانية الجوية), (originally RAF Dhibban), was a Royal Air Force station at Habbaniyah, about 55 miles (89 km) west of Baghdad in modern-day Iraq, on the banks of the Euphrates near Lake Habbaniyah. It was developed from 1934, and was operational from October 1936 until 31 May 1959 when the RAF finally withdrew after the July 1958 Revolution made the British military presence no longer welcome. It was the scene of fierce fighting in May 1941 when it was besieged by the Iraqi Military following the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état.
It is currently a major Iraqi military airbase.