Donetsk International Airport

Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev International Airport
Міжнародний аеропорт "Донецьк"

The ruins of the airport in December 2014 during the War in Donbass.
Summary
Airport type Public
Serves Donetsk, Ukraine
Elevation AMSL 238 m / 781 ft
Coordinates 48°04′30″N 037°43′32″E / 48.07500°N 37.72556°E / 48.07500; 37.72556Coordinates: 48°04′30″N 037°43′32″E / 48.07500°N 37.72556°E / 48.07500; 37.72556
Website airport.dn.ua
Map
UKCC

Location in Ukraine

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
08/26 4,000 13,123 Concrete
Statistics (2014)
Passengers Decrease 346,700
Source: Ukrainian AIP at EUROCONTROL[1]

Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev International Airport (Ukrainian: Міжнародний аеропорт "Донецьк") (IATA: DOK, ICAO: UKCC) is a nonoperational airport located 10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Donetsk, Ukraine, that was destroyed in 2014 during the War in Donbass.[2][3] It was built in the 1940s and 1950s and rebuilt in 1973 and again from 2011 to 2012. The airport is named for 20th-century composer Sergei Prokofiev, who was a native of Donetsk Oblast.

History

Development since the 1990s

The main terminal prior to the War in Donbass

In the 1990s, Donetsk Airport experienced a number of criminal incidents. On November 3, 1996, a group of assassins opened indiscriminate fire at the plane of prominent local businessman Yevhen Shcherban as passengers disembarked on the apron. Shcherban and his wife were killed, together with an airport ground technician and the plane's flight engineer.[4]

In accordance with the program of Donetsk for Euro 2012 in 2011, the Ukrainian construction company "Altcom" constructed a new airport terminal, which had been developed by experts from Croatia. The airline Donbassaero had its head office located at the airport,[5] but ceased operations in January 2013.[6]

2014–15 conflict

On 26 May 2014, pro-Russian rebels seized the airport soon after Petro Poroshenko won the 2014 Ukrainian presidential election. In response, Ukrainian forces launched air attacks to regain control of it from the rebels.[7] Two civilians and 38 combatants were reported dead, and the Ukrainian military regained control of the airport.[8] Service at the airport has not resumed since the battle.[9]

On 1 October 2014, pro-Russian rebels attempted to retake the airport. A spokesman for what the Ukrainian government calls its anti-terrorist operation said Ukrainian forces repelled four attacks on the airport that evening. A T-64 tank was destroyed and seven rebels were killed, Vladyslav Seleznyov told Kanal 5 TV. A reporter for Associated Press in Donetsk said on October 1 that there were indications that the government had lost control of the airport. Rebel-leader Alexander Zakharchenko said it was "95%" under separatist control. Ukrainian officials insisted the airport was still under government control as of October 2014.[10]

Rebel forces claimed to have taken complete control of the airport on 17 January 2015, after a series of battles with pro-government forces over the complex.[11] One day later it was reported that government forces claimed to have retaken almost all parts of the airport lost to rebels in recent weeks, after a mass operation during the night.[12] On 21 January, Ukrainian forces admitted losing control of the airport to the Donetsk People's Republic rebels.[13]

Over the course of battles for the airport, the airport complex suffered extensive damage from constant bombardments and change of hand between pro-government and rebel forces. The main terminal buildings, with their sturdy concrete construction, served as garrisons and shelters for soldiers defending the airport grounds, and as a result the buildings would be subjected to attacks and suffer extensive structural failures, most notably with the collapse of the massive roof over the new terminal building's mezzanine. Similarly, the control tower was contested by opposing forces due to its strategic lookout point, but eventually collapsed in January 2015 during the final leg of the Second Battle of Donetsk Airport.[14][15][16]

Since the fighting, the ruins of the airport have been cleared of rubble, leaving behind the concrete shells of the new terminal building and adjoining parking garage.

Airlines and destinations

All civilian airline operations including Lufthansa, Air Berlin, Aeroflot and flydubai were suspended due to armed conflict in May 2014, and the airport's facilities were subsequently completely destroyed.[15]

Statistics

Donbassaero Airbus A320-200 at Donetsk International Airport
A Donetsk Airport Employee pin.
Year[17] Passengers Change on previous year
2009 488,100 Steady
2010 612,200 Increase25.4%
2011 829,300 Increase35.5%
2012 1,000,000 Increase20.6%
2013 1,110,400 Increase11.0%
2014 346,700 (closed due to the War in Donbass) Decrease68.8%
2015 Steady Decrease100.0%
2016 Steady Steady

Accidents and incidents

See also

References

  1. ↑ EAD Basic
  2. ↑ "Donetsk Airport Cyborgs". Ukraine Today. 2014-10-15. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  3. ↑ "Донецкий аэропорт потерял стратегическое значение, поэтому отпала необходимость его удерживать – Генштаб". Unian. 29 January 2015.
  4. ↑ Донецкая мафия: Щербань Евгений (in Ukrainian)
  5. ↑ "Contacts Archived May 31, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.." Donbassaero. Retrieved on 27 April 2011. "Headquarter The headquarter of our company is located at international airport “Donetsk”. Address: DONBASSAERO, 1«V», Vzlyotnaya str., Donetsk, 83021, Ukraine"
  6. ↑ Donbassaero airline starts bankruptcy proceedings
  7. ↑ Ukraine crisis: Battle to control Donetsk airport
  8. ↑ "Dozens killed in fighting over Donetsk airport". Big News Network. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  9. ↑ Notice for passengers International Airport Donetsk. 26 May 2014. Accessed 31 May 2014
  10. ↑ "Ukraine rebels renew push to take Donetsk airport". BBC News. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "The Scars of War: Full scale of destruction at Donetsk Airport". The Daily Mail. 17 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  12. ↑ "Ukraine says retake most of Donetsk airport from rebels". World Bullentin. 18 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  13. ↑ "Ukraine forces admit loss of Donetsk airport to rebels". The Guardian. 21 January 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  14. ↑ "Новости Донбасса :: В интернете появились фото разгромленного аэропорта имени Прокофьева ФОТО". Novosti.dn.ua. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  15. 1 2 "Welcome to Donetsk: Shocking pictures show Ukrainian airport lying in tatters as UN says at least 331 have been killed since last month’s ceasefire was agreed". The Daily Mail. 8 October 2014.
  16. ↑ "Donetsk airport damage captured by drone". BBC. 19 January 2015.
  17. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-11. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
  18. ↑ "Plane crash landing in Ukraine kills at least five: officials". Reuters. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  19. ↑ "BBC News - Five killed as plane crash-lands in eastern Ukraine". Bbc.co.uk. 2013-02-13. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  20. ↑ "AN-24 crash-landing kills 5 in Donetsk — RT News". Rt.com. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  21. ↑ "Deaths reported in Ukraine plane crash - CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2014-08-03.

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