Niš Constantine the Great Airport
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Niš Constantine the Great International Airport Аеродром Ниш - Константин Велики Aerodrom Niš - Konstantin Veliki |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: INI – ICAO: LYNI | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | Public Enterprise for Airport Services Airport Niš | ||
| Serves | Niš, Serbia | ||
| Location | Niš, Serbia | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 646 ft / 197 m | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 11/29 | 8,209 | 2,502 | Asphalt |
| 11/29 | 5,577 | 1,700 | Grass |
| Statistics | |||
| Passengers 2007 | 30,461 | ||
| Passengers 2006 | 35,518 | ||
| Passengers 2005 | 26,787 | ||
| Passengers 2004 | 19,040 | ||
| Sources: Official website[1] | |||
Niš Constantine the Great Airport (Serbian: Ниш Константин Велики, Latin: Niš Konstantin Veliki) (IATA: INI, ICAO: LYNI), serves southern Serbia and the city of Niš. It is located four kilometers from the Niš city centre and is Serbia's second international airport.
Excellent weather conditions during the whole year, with a few foggy and snowing days lets Niš Constantine the Great Airport become an alternative airport for Belgrade, Podgorica, Tivat, Sofia, Skopje and Ohrid. The airport has a capacity of three aircraft per hour.
Contents |
[edit] History
The city of Niš had its airfield at nearby Međurovo village since 1910.
In the 1930s, Aeroput, the flag carrier of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia used the airport for civil service.
In the 1970s, the airport was used for occasional service to Adriatic airports (an example being Split). In the 1980s, the new terminal building was constructed and regular service by Jat Airways to Belgrade while charter flights to England began.
In post World War II years, the airport was used as a military base throughout the years. Among other units, it was a base for the 63rd Paratroop Battalion and 119th Aviation Brigade.
Thomsonfly has successfully completed their mission for winter season of 2005-2006 and winter of 2006-2007, having 13 flights and more than 3,500 tourists, which were transported from London Gatwick, over Niš Airport to the Serbian ski centre Kopaonik. 35,518 passengers passed through the airport in 2006 thanks to 111 Montenegro Airlines flights, 118 Jat Airways flights and 14 Thomsonfly flights.
Niš Constantine the Great Airport has had 30,461 passengers go through the airport during 2007. It is a decrease from results in 2006 due to Montenegro Airlines not having permission to operate flights to Zürich. In addition, Jat Airways was not able to introduce more flights from Niš to Western Europe due to operational and technical reasons, while Atlasjet postponed their flights to Istanbul due to an issue with the organizer. It is expected that the problem will be solved shortly, and the route will be operational again. Thomsonfly on the other hand announced, and is continuing flights to London via Sofia, which began operation on the December 22, 2007. Jat Airways continued their flights to Zürich, flying twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays.
[edit] Airlines and destinations
The following airlines operate to and from Niš (as of April 2008):
- Jat Airways (Heraclion [starts July 3rd], Tivat [starts June 20th], Zürich)
- Montenegro Airlines (Tivat) [starts June 16th]
- Thomsonfly (London Gatwick, Manchester, Sofia) [seasonal]
[edit] Investments and development
With only a few flights a week from Niš Constantine the Great, the airport has had a successful second year of operation. It recorded around 27,000 passengers in 2005, approx 42% more than in 2004. The rate of growth was the same in 2006 however 2007 saw a fall in passenger numbers.
Further increase of traffic at this airport is expected when the open skies agreement takes place, since it will give airlines the opportunity to land without the prolonged agreements as experienced today. The airport management claims that low-cost carriers such as Ryanair are interested in flying to the airport.[2] This agreement was signed by Serbian Government and is to come to effect as soon as it is approved by the parliament.[3]
Niš Constantine the Great has successfully conducted TAM program (Turn Around Management) of the European bank for reconstruction and development (EBRD) whose goal is to improve the work of the management and strategy preparation for the development of the Niš airport. TAM program's expert, Michael Kellaway estimated Niš Constantine the Great Airport as great potential and that with 28,000 passengers could in the next few years get to the level of 200,000 passenger a year. The director of Niš airport Radisav Radojković said that thanks to this program of management of Constantine the Great Airport it succeeded in identifying and focusing on the most important aspects of its business according to the market's principals.
[edit] Airport services and accessibility
Airport operational hours: 24 hrs on request (carriers should send their Handling Request to iniport@airportnis.co.yu or fax: 00381 18 583 003 until 1530LT on Fridays for flights planned for Saturday & Sunday).[1]
The airport is very close to the downtown (about 3.5 km, 2 mi). There is a dedicated "Airport Niš" bus line that connects airport to most of the Niš suburbs (line 34). Taxi service is available at any time for any city destination and more. If calling from a cellular phone, it is useful to know that the dial code for Serbia is 381, and for Niš, 18. When calling from a pay-phone in Niš, it is not necessary to use a dial code. From other places in Serbia, dial 018 prior to the phone number indicated.
Cost of the cab transportation is relatively low. Average cost within the city is approximately 200 RSD (about 2.5€ or USD$3). The airport staff can request taxi drivers that are able to communicate in English in order to make the trip more convenient for tourists. There are also many 'rent-a-car' agencies at the airport baggage claim area.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Niš Constantine the Great International Airport
- Tourist Organization of Niš
- Serbian Aeronautical Information Publication from European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation basic (free registration required)
- Airport information for LYNI at World Aero Data
|
|||||||||||
