Jump to content

Stepanakert Airport

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Vidovler (talk | contribs) at 15:44, 18 May 2011 (→Reactions: compromise, there is no reason to revert that, it clarify that that wording is from the document.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Stepanakert Airport

Ստեփանակերտի Օդանավակայան
File:Stepanakert airport001.JPG
  • IATA: none
  • ICAO: none
    Stepanakert is located in Azerbaijan
    Stepanakert
    Stepanakert
    Location of the Airport in Nagorno-Karabakh
Summary
Airport typeMilitary and civilian
OperatorNagorno-Karabakh Republic
LocationKhojaly (near Stepanakert), Nagorno-Karabagh
Elevation AMSL2,001 ft / 610 m
Coordinates39°54′05″N 46°47′13″E / 39.90139°N 46.78694°E / 39.90139; 46.78694 (Stepanakert Air Base)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
05/23 2,178 7,145 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF[1]

Stepanakert Airport (Template:Lang-hy; called Khojaly Airport (Template:Lang-az by Azerbaijan) is an airport in Khojaly, near Stepanakert, the capital city of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), a de facto independent republic which territory is de-jure recognized as a part of Azerbaijan. The airport has been under the control of the NKR since the ceasefire agreement of the Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1994. In 2009, facilities reconstruction and repair work began.[2] On April 5, 2011 it was announced that opening of the airport had been postponed. Armenian officials insisted that the postponement was not related to the dispute with Azerbaijan. [3]

Facilities

The airport resides at an elevation of 2,001 feet (610 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 05/23 with an asphalt surface measuring 2,178 by 37 metres (7,146 ft × 121 ft).[1]

History

By the end of 1980 the airport served a regular passenger flights Yerevan - Stepanakert . With the Karabakh conflict and the constituted authorities of the Azerbaijan Soviet blockade of the Armenian SSR and NKAO airport was the only means of communication blockaded the region with the outside world. The airport has been under the control of the NKR since the ceasefire agreement of the Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1994.

Renovation

In 2009, work began on the construction of a new passenger terminal. Repair work is also being conducted on the main runway.[2] According to Karabakh’s Urban Development Minister Karen Shahramanian, work on the terminal building will be completed in November 2010, however this has now been delayed until April 2011.[4] Air navigation equipment is also being installed there.[2] The newly renovated airport will be capable of receiving 200 passengers every hour.[5]

It is expected that Karabakh will have a regular flight services only to Yerevan, Armenia, and a state owned carrier, Artsakh Air was created on January 26, 2011 and intends to purchase 3 Bombardier CRJ200 jets.[4] Officials have said only that a one-way air ticket to the Armenian capital will cost 16,000 drams ($45 USD).[2]

On April 5, 2011 it was announced that opening of the airport had been postponed indefinitely. Armenian authorities have refused to announce any dates for the official reopening.[6] Officials also insisted that the postponement was not related to the dispute with Azerbaijan.[7]

Reactions

Immediately after the NKR Civil Aviation Department's statement announcing the May 9, 2011 opening date of the newly-built airport in Stepanakert, Arif Mammadov, director of Azerbaijan’s Civil Aviation Administration warned that according to law on aviation, flights from Yerevan to Stepanakert are not authorized and may be shot down.[8][9]

The NKR response came from David Babayan, head of the central information department of the NKR president’s office, who said that NKR armed forces "will give an adequate response" if Azerbaijan attempts to shoot down an aircraft.[10] President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan condemned the threat to shoot down civilian aircraft dismissing it as "nonsense".[11] Sargsyan also said that he would be the first passenger on inaugural Yerevan-Stepanakert flight.[11]

The Azerbaijani presidential administration condemned Sargsyan's statement as possible provocation on the part of Armenia. A few days later, spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Elkhan Polukhov, declared that “Azerbaijan did not and will not use force against civil facilities.”[12]

The United States Assistant Secretary, Philip Gordon, as well as ambassadors to Azerbaijan and Armenia, Matthew Bryza and Marie Yovanovitch, characterized that threat as "unacceptable"; and advised that issues related to the security of the airport should be solved before its opening.[13][14][15][16][17]

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, expressed support for Azerbaijan. He said “that such provocative actions will not serve to promote the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict," and called Armenia to "to stop such provocative steps.”[18]

GUAM Secretary General Valeri Chechelashvil said that the airport was within the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan and can not operate without Azerbaijan’s permission.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).

On April 14, 2011 23 members (19 of them Turkish or Azeri) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) condemned the construction of the airport in resolution 12590. The document stresses that the construction of the airport by Armenia of what it considers as Azerbaijan’s occupied territories is contrary to the norms of international law. The resolution required Yerevan to stop the airport construction.[19]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Airport information for UB13 from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
  2. ^ a b c d "Karabakh To Reopen Stepanakert Airport". Asbarez. 5 October 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2010. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ "Nagorno-Karabakh Flights On Hold Despite Airport Reconstruction". RFERL. May 16, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b "Nagorno-Karabakh Airport Preparing For First Flights In Decades". RFE/RL. January 27, 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ "Stepanakert airport to work after 10-year break." News.am. February 2, 2011.
  6. ^ "Nagorno-Karabakh Flights On Hold Despite Airport Reconstruction". RFERL. May 16, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "Stepanakert airport opening postponed for 'technical reasons'". ArmeniaNow. April 6, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ "Azerbaijan: Flights to Nagorno Karabakh Will Be Boarding at Gunpoint". EurasiaNet. March 17, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ "Azerbaijan threatens to down Armenian flights". Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review. March 17, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  10. ^ Ghazinyan, Aris. "Air Message: Response to threats against the new airport in Stepanakert." ArmeniaNow. March 22, 2011.
  11. ^ a b "Sarkisian Says He'll be 1st Passenger of the Yerevan-Stepanakert Flight". Asbarez. March 31, 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ "Baku Retreats From Karabakh Flight Threats." RFE/RL. April 1, 2011.
  13. ^ Foreign Press Center With Philip H. Gordon, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Embassy of the United States in Turkey, Tuesday, April 19, 2011
  14. ^ U.S. Department of State: threats to shoot down Karabakh-bound planes unacceptable, PanArmenian.Net, April 20, 2011
  15. ^ "Security issues should be resolved before opening Stepanakert Airport - Mathew Bryza." Tert.am. March 29, 2011.
  16. ^ "U.S.: Armenia, Azerbaijan 'Must Pull Out Snipers'." RFE/RL. March 19, 2011.
  17. ^ "Azerbaijan’s statements quite unacceptable, U.S. Ambassador says." News.am. March 23, 2011.
  18. ^ Turkish Foreign Minister expresses his attitude to the Armenia’s plan to build Airport in the occupied territories
  19. ^ "The construction of an airport in the occupied Azerbaijani territories by Armenia". Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. April 14, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)


Stub icon

This article about a building or structure in Azerbaijan is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This article about a European airport is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stepanakert_Airport&oldid=429738857"