Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport (, ) is a joint civilian/military-use airport situated in the town of Ambouli, Djibouti. It serves the national capital, Djibouti. The airport is located approximately 6 kilometres (4 miles) from the city centre. It occupies an area of 10 square kilometers. History The airport was opened in 1948. Originally modest-sized, the facility grew in the post-independence period after a series of renovation projects. In the mid-1970s, the airport was enlarged to accommodate more international carriers, with the state-owned Air Djibouti providing regular trips to its various destinations. Civilian use Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport has a single terminal building, with one departure gate and one baggage carousel. As the airport is located south of Djibouti City and its runways run east–west, an airliner's landing approach is usually directly over the conurbation of the capital, when the wind is from the west. In 2010, the airport served 176,861 passengers. Military use In addition to its use as a civilian airport, the airport hosts a military presence from a number of countries. Military traffic makes up approximately 75% of the airport's total traffic volume. Military of France French Army 5th Overseas Interarms Regiment French Army Light Aviation, 2 Puma and 1 Gazelle helicopter French Air and Space Force (BA 188) Escadron de Chasse 3/11 Corse with the Dassault Mirage 2000-5 Escadron de Transport 88 Larzac with the Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma and CASA/IPTN CN-235 United States Armed Forces (Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa) Camp Lemonnier – formerly a base of the French Foreign Legion, the camp is located on the southern side of the airfield Djibouti Air Force – located on the southwest side of the airfield. Japan Self-Defense Forces Japan Self-Defense Force Base Djibouti was established in 2009 on a 12 ha site adjacent to the airport; two P-3C aircraft and 180 personnel are stationed here. This is the only JSDF base located outside Japan, and is intended to protect Japanese nationals and ships in the region from terrorism and piracy. Italian Air Force Supporting the European Union Naval Force – operating the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator. Air-traffic controllers controversy According to military officials, US military flights comprised over 50 percent of the 30,000 departures and arrivals in 2014. Civilian air-traffic controllers hired by the Djiboutian government monitor the airspace over Camp Lemonnier's runways, unlike other major US military bases. US consultants stationed at the base reported that over