Lapraka Airfield
Coordinates: 41°19′57″N 19°47′33″E / 41.33250°N 19.79250°E The Lapraka Airfield or Tirana Aerodrome (IATA: ZOOH) was an Airfield located in Tirana, Albania.[1] It is the former airport of Albania's capital. It used to house an air force regiment with Y-5s, operating from the old runway, and later, from the grass runway. Currently, Lapraka only houses the helicopters of the Albanian government.
The airfield is located in the north western part of Tirana, although it is hardly recognizable as such. From the town center, take the Rruga Durresi towards Durres.
North of the old runway, which is currently in use as a road, the former grass runway can be found. The helispot is the only operational part of the airfield and is located to the south east side.[2]
Background
The Lapraka Airfield is a small airfield on the western outskirts of Tirana. It was originally built in 1939 by the Italians. It was home to the first units of the Albanian Air Force in 1951, and most recently the home base to 4050 Regt. It was later made a reserve air base with no permanently based units. By May 2006 the airfield had become completely surrounded by the city of Tirane, and the air force had moved out in 2005. The main runway is now a road, so the only active users are Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Health helicopters.[3]
References
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