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Batajnica Air Base

Coordinates: 44°56′07″N 020°15′27″E / 44.93528°N 20.25750°E / 44.93528; 20.25750
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Batajnica Air Base

Аеродром Батајница

Aerodrom Batajnica
Batajnica control tower
Summary
Airport typeMilitary air base
OperatorSerbian Air Force
ServesBelgrade,  Serbia
LocationBelgrade
Built1947
In use1951 - present
Elevation AMSL282 ft / 86 m
Coordinates44°56′07″N 020°15′27″E / 44.93528°N 20.25750°E / 44.93528; 20.25750
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
11/29 x 1,100 Grass
12R/30L 7,999 2,438 Asphalt
12L/30R x 2,502 Asphalt

Batajnica Air Base (IATA: BJY, ICAO: LYBT) (Template:Lang-sr) is a military air base in Serbia. The airport is located between Batajnica and Nova Pazova, about 25 km northwest from the center of Belgrade. Batajnica is the only airport in Serbia with two runways.

History

Construction of the airbase started in 1947 and was completed in 1951, when the airbase was officially opened. The purpose of the airbase was to protect the capital from attack. One grass and two asphalted runways are used. It was known as 177th Air Base, which was its name until the 2006 reorganization.

Batajnica was home of 204th Fighter-Aviation regiment, 138th Transport-Aviation Regiment and other units of Yugoslav Air Force.

During the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia the airbase was heavily bombed for 25 days and sustaining heavy damage.

In June 2006, two USAF F-16 fighter jets, visited Batajnica airbase. It was the first official visit of USAF aircraft in more than 20 years and the first since the bombing.

Civil usage

Civil aviation authorities in Serbia have speculated about the possibility to transform Batajnica to accept commercial flights from low-cost carriers at some point in the future. Proponents argue that the air base is more ideally located than the neighboring Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, just a few kilometers away, because of its close proximity to the E75 highway and direct rail link to the city, as well as its more favorable weather conditions. Under the proposal, the airbase would serve a dual purpose and continue to serve its military purpose but ownership of the airport would be transferred to the city authority.[1][2][3]

Units

A MiG-21 gate guardian at Batajnica

Serbian Air Force units operating outside of Batajnica Air Base:

101st Fighter Squadron
252nd Training Squadron
138th Transport Squadron
890th Mixed Helicopter Squadron
24th Air Force Technical Battalion
17th Air Base Security Battalion
177th Air Force Air Defence Artillery Battalion

References

  1. ^ "U Batajnicu će sletati i civili" (in Serbian). B92. 9 January 2008.
  2. ^ "Aerodrom u Batajnici rezervisan za loukost letove" (in Serbian). 24sata.rs. 15 June 2011.
  3. ^ "Second airport for Belgrade by 2016". EX-YU Aviation. 27 June 2011.
  4. ^ 204TH AIR FORCE BRIGADE
  5. ^ AIR FORCE TRAINING CENTER