Morava Airport
| Morava Airport Аеродром Морава Aerodrom Morava | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military/Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Serbian Air Force | ||||||||||
| Serves | Kraljevo, Čačak, Kragujevac | ||||||||||
| Location | Lađevci, Serbia | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 686 ft / 209 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 43°49′07″N 020°35′07″E / 43.81861°N 20.58528°ECoordinates: 43°49′07″N 020°35′07″E / 43.81861°N 20.58528°E | ||||||||||
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  LYKV | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Morava Airport (Serbian: Аеродром Mopaвa / Aerodrom Morava) (ICAO: LYKV), also known as Lađevci Airport (Аеродром Лађевци / Aerodrom Lađevci), is a mixed public and military airport in Lađevci, Serbia - some 15 km (9.5 mi) from Kraljevo, 25 km (15.5 mi) from Čačak, and 39 km (24.4 mi) from Kragujevac.
The airport has been divided into two distinct parts: the 98th Air Base of the Serbian Air Force has kept the name Lađevci whereas civilian terminal building bears the name Morava Airport.[1]
History
Lađevci airbase was originally used as a support airfield for the 98th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment of the Yugoslav Air Force based at Skopski Petrovac airbase in the Socialist Republic of Macedonia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, Lađevci airbase became more active when the 98th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment was transferred from Petrovac to Kraljevo. From then at airfield there were few units of FR Yugoslav Air Force, 98th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment with its 241st Fighter-Bomber Aviation Squadron equipped with J-22 Orao attack aircraft, 353rd Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron equipped with IJ-22 Orao reconnaissance aircraft and the 714th Anti-Tank Helicopter Squadron equipped with SA.342L Gazelle Gama attack helicopters. During 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the airport and runway were badly damaged.
Recent developments
- 2006–2018
In 2006, Government of Serbia began conversion of the airport to provide civilian traffic. In the first phase, the new control tower (the former having been destroyed in 1999 by NATO bombing) was constructed.[2] Then in 2011, new terminal building was built that can service both passenger and cargo flights. This is expected to be followed by the second phase – broadening and extending of the existing runway, presently 30 metres (98 feet) wide to a width of 45 metres (148 feet) and length of 2,750 metres (9,022 feet), upon which the airport will be able to receive the largest passenger or cargo aircraft.
- 2018–present
As of 2017, Morava Airport has the potential to become an international airport if further efforts are made.[3] In January 2018, the Government of Serbia granted a 25-year concession of the Serbian largest Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport to the French airport operator Vinci Airports for a sum of 501 million euros.[4] As part of the deal, other three Serbian civil airports (Niš Constantine the Great Airport, Ponikve Airport and Morava Airport) are restricted when it comes to annual passenger flow expansion; they are allowed to increase to a maximum of 1 million passengers over the next 12 years.[5]
Airlines and destinations
The first passenger aircraft at Morava Airport landed on October 4, 2011; a Jat Airways ATR 72-202 carried then-president Boris Tadić along with other government officials for a media briefing regarding the recovery effort from the 2010 Kraljevo earthquake.[6] Jat Airways planned to introduce regular traffic between Kraljevo and Istanbul in 2012.,[7] but it never materialized.
During 2016 construction of new passenger terminal was accomplished. As of 2017, there are no flights operating out of Morava Airport.
References
- ↑ Naslovi – Vojni aerodrom Lađevci obukao "civilku" (in Serbian)
- ↑ Aerodrom Morava (in Serbian)
- ↑ Božović, Nenad (3 December 2017). "PRIŠTINA NAM UZIMA PUTNIKE Srbija bi mogla da osposobi još DVA AERODROMA za civilne letove". blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 4 December 2017.
- ↑ "Pala odluka: Kome će "Nikola Tesla"". b92.net (in Serbian). Tanjug. 5 January 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ↑ Miladinović, Z. (17 January 2018). "Najava novog "gušenja"". danas.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ↑ Politika – Aerodrom ohrabrenje za investitore (in Serbian)
- ↑ Jat Airways: Kraljevo-Istanbul od juna (in Serbian)