Dawson Field

Dawson Field
Zarqa Governorate in Jordan
Location
Dawson Field Shown within Jordan
Coordinates	32°06′19″N 36°09′42″E / 32.10528°N 36.16167°E / 32.10528; 36.16167
Site history
Events	1970 mass aircraft hijacking

Dawson Field, also known as Zerka Airfield and Al-Thawra Airport, was a military airfield located thirty-five miles northeast of Amman in Zarqa, Zarqa Governorate, Jordan. During World War II, it was used as an airstrip by the RAF until withdrawal by the 1950s. It remained abandoned until it was reactivated by Wadie Haddad for use by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and gained the nickname Revolutionary Field. In 1970, Dawson Field was involved with a mass aircraft hijacking, with three aircraft forced to divert and land at the airfield.

History

During World War II, the Royal Air Force (RAF) maintained a remote airstrip at Zarqa. It was named Dawson Field, and no operational units were ever based there as it was only used for desert exercises due to the ideally flat terrain. The airfield was named after Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Dawson in recognition of his achievements whilst he was an Air Officer Commanding of RAF command AHQ Levant.^[1] A camp was also established at Dawson Field, which consisted of 7 tents and a flag pole with the RAF flag. Supermarine Spitfires of the No. 32 Squadron RAF commonly flew from the airfield, and also Junkers Ju 52s captured from the Luftwaffe. In 1958, the RAF withdrew from Dawson Field, and it remained abandoned.^[2]

Post-war

In May 1958, the runways and taxiways were extended 1,200 feet to the east, with the total runway length measuring 4,600 feet. There were no aircraft based here, and it was used as a vehicle and artillery park by the nearby Zarqa Military Camp equipped with 270 field artillery, 14 tanks, 16 prime movers, and approximately 930 vehicles.^[3] Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, no aviation activity was reported at Dawson Field, which was referred to as "Zerka Airfield".^[4][5] In the 1970s, Palestinian militant Wadie Haddad organized the rehabilitation of the former airfield, making it serviceable for aircraft use. It was renamed to Al-Thawra Airport, and was used by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The name translated to "Revolution Field", and locals of Zarqa also referred to the airport as Ga Khanna.^[6][7] The landing ground is described as a mud flat, which hardened and cracked every summer, leading to unideal landing conditions. At the time, Al-Thawra Airport was located in a remote desert region.^[8]

Hijackings

Aircraft at Dawson Field being blown up by the PRLP after it was evacuated.

In 1970, Al-Thawra Airport was selected by Wadie Haddad and PFLP engineers for where a mass aircraft hijacking would be carried, with the motive of freeing Palestinian prisoners imprisoned in Europe and Israel. In September 1970, members of the PFLP hijacked four airlines bound for New York City and one for London. Three of the aircraft were forced to divert and land at Al-Thawra Airport, and one landed at Cairo. Due to the unsuitable landing conditions of the airfield for a Boeing 747-121, Pan Am Flight 93 was redirected to Cairo in Egypt. On 7 September 1970, the hijackers held a press conference for 60 members of the media who had made their way to the airport. After the hostages were evacuated, all three aircraft was blown up on 11–12 September 1970.^[9][10]

By the 1990s, Dawson Field was occasionally used by military aircraft. It primarily supported dispersal, staging and aircraft recovery operations.^[11]

Accidents and incidents

• On 22 October 1947, a Supermarine Spitfire Mk XVIII of the No. 32 Squadron RAF registered TP365 crashed at Dawson Field. The Spitfire was the last of three in a formation landing at Dawsons Field, and the pilot decided to abandon the landing due to the dust 'kicked up' by previous aircraft. During the second attempt at landing, the pilot forgot to lower the undercarriage, and accidentally belly landed the aircraft, severely damaging the underside of the airframe. After the incident, the amassed damage was assessed as Category E and the aircraft was not repaired and struck off charge.^[12]

References

1. "Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Lloyd Dawson". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. RAFweb. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
2. "Operations at Dawson Field Trans Jordan". IBCC Digital Archive. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
3. "CIA‑RDP78T05447A000100010090‑5" (PDF). CIA FOIA Electronic Reading Room. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
4. "CIA‑RDP78T05447A000100010075‑2" (PDF). CIA FOIA Electronic Reading Room. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
5. "CIA‑RDP78T05693A000100010054‑2" (PDF). CIA FOIA Electronic Reading Room. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
6. "وديع حداد، مطار الثورة وطائرات أيلول". QRTAAS (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2023-03-10. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
7. "عمَّا أَهَلًّا بِكُمْ في مطار الثورة". Al‑Adab (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2022-08-26. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
8. Raab, David (2007). Terror in Black September: The First Eyewitness Account of the Infamous 1970 Hijackings. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781403984203.
9. "Hijacked jets destroyed by guerrillas". BBC News. 12 September 1970. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
10. "Wave of Middle Eastern hijacks recalls 1970 skyjacking spree". UPI. 14 June 1985. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
11. "Southwest Asia II – Lesson 2: Military Capabilities, History, Weather, Terrain, and LOC Data (IS3009)". Global Security. U.S. Army Intelligence Center, Army Correspondence Course Program. February 1999. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
12. "Crash of Supermarine Spirfire Wednesday on 22 October 1947". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 16 January 2026.