Built in the 1920s by the French colonial government, Anfa Airport was the primary airport for Casablanca until the
United States Air Force closed its
base at Nouasseur in 1959. The Nouasseur Air Base has been expanded over the years to handle large jet aircraft and has become Casablanca's primary airport,
Mohammed V International Airport. During
World War II, Anfa Airport was taken over by the
Vichy French government and used as an airport as well as an air base for the
Vichy French Air Force () with its limited aircraft allowed by the armistice with
Nazi Germany. It was also used by
Deutsche Luft Hansa and German military transports and was depicted in the fictional 1942 film
Casablanca. Anfa Airport was one of the primary Allied objectives during
Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa, and was seized in the initial landings in the Casablanca area. After its capture by Allied forces, it functioned as an Allied military airfield throughout the remainder of the war, supporting the
United States Army during the
North African Campaign, and also as an
Air Transport Command cargo hub on the North African Route. It served as a transit point for
United States Army Air Forces aircraft heading to England to equip the
Eighth Air Force, as well as for the
Twelfth and
Fifteenth Air Forces in the
Mediterranean Theater, as part of the southern air transport route from the United States via Brazil and Dakar in Senegal. It was returned to civilian control late in 1945. The airport is now closed and is undergoing a major urbanization project. Anfa Airport was replaced as a commercial airport by
Mohammed V International Airport; however, it continued to serve as a pilot training airfield until it ceased all operations in 2007. ==Other facilities==