Melilla Airport is an airport located in Melilla, an exclave of Spain in Africa. The airport is located about 4 km (2.5 mi) southwest of the city, near the border with Morocco. Between 1931 and 1967 Melilla was served by the Tauima Aerodrome, even when Morocco had gained its independence in 1956. This Spanish controlled airport did not open until 1969. It has the capacity to move up to 500,000 passengers and the annual average number of passengers is around 400,000.