Batajnica Air Base

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Batajnica Airbase
Аеродром Батајница
(Aerodrom Batajnica)
IATA: BJY - ICAO: LYBT
Summary
Airport type Military
Operator Serbian Air Force
Serves Batajnica
Elevation AMSL 265 ft (81 m)
Coordinates 44°56′07″N, 020°15′27″E
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
12/30 3,232 985 Grass
12R/30L 7,999 2,438 Asphalt
12L/30R 8,181 2,494 Asphalt

Batajnica Airbase (IATA: BJY, ICAO: LYBT) (Serbian: Аеродром Бaтajницa, tr. Aerodrom Batajnica) is an airport in Serbia. The airport is located between the town of Batajnica and Nova Pazova, some 20 kilometres North West of Belgrade and is a military airport base for the Military of Serbia. This is the only airport with two asphalt runways in Serbia.

Contents

[edit] History

Construction of the military airport started in 1947 and was completed in 1951, when the airport was officially opened. The purpose of the airport is to protect the city of Belgrade in case of any air attack. 1 grass and 2 asphalted runways are used.

The Batajncia was home of 204th Fighter-Aviation regiment (204.LAP), 138th Transport-Aviation Regiment and other units of SFR Yugoslav Air Force.

In 1999, during the NATO bombing on Yugoslavia the airport was bombed nearly every day. It was bombed 25 times and has been badly damaged by it.

In June 2006, two U.S. F-16 jets, part of the U.S. force stationed in Europe, have visited Batajnica Airbase. It was the first time after more than 20 years that U.S. fighter planes have landed at a Serbian military airport, which is seen as a "rebirth" of military cooperation between the two countries.

The airport is frequently used for aviation shows and exhibitions. It also contains 22 operational MiG-21 fighter jets, about 20 G-4 Super Galeb light-attack trainer aircraft, 12 Utva 75 basic trainers and a number of military cargo aircraft and helicopters from the Serbian Air Force,

[edit] Airport Future

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The team of the Civil Aviation Directorate have visited Batajnica Airport and made a plan of reconstruction needed for handling civil air traffic (low cost carriers). On the 3rd of January 2008, one of 3 runways, which was badly damaged during the NATO attacks in 1999, was reconstructed and is in use.

670 million Serbian dinars is expected to be invested for making Batajnica Air Base into a joint civilian and military airport. At first, the airport will be used for cargo aircraft but will soon after handle passenger flights. This has come since many airlines prefer using Niš Constantine the Great Airport over Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport due to the lower fee's at Niš. It is also suggested that Batajnica Air Base, once it becomes available for civilian use, be used as an alternative airport to Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport due to the better weather conditions experienced at the Batajnica Air Base.[1]

[edit] Service

The airport is used by the Serbian Air Force. It is also used by an aviation school RV-PVO. 204th Air Base and Military test center section for flight test are located at Batajnica Air Base.

204th Air Base squadrons:

  • 101.lae (fighter squadron)
  • 252.mae (mixed aviation squadron)
  • 138.mtae (mixed aviation squadron)

[edit] See also

[edit] Sources

[edit] External links

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Airports and airfields in Serbia
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