Airport type Military/Public Location Lađevci 14L/32R 7,218 Elevation 209 m | Operator Military of Serbia Elevation AMSL 686 ft / 209 m Address Katrga, Serbia Code KVO | |
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Serves Kraljevo, Čačak, Gornji Milanovac, Kragujevac, Kruševac, Novi Pazar, Užice, Jagodina ,
Serbia Similar Dajoni Plus, Hotel Livade, Pijaca, Morava, Hotel Kole | ||
Morava Airport (Serbian: Аеродром Mopaвa / Aerodrom Morava) (ICAO: LYKV), also known as Lađevci Airport (Serbian: Aеродром Лађевци / Aerodrom Lađevci), is a part public and part military airport in Lađevci near the city of Kraljevo, Serbia.
Contents
Upon construction of the new civilian terminal, the airport has been divided into two distinct parts. The airbase for the Serbian Air Force has kept the name Lađevci whereas the new civilian terminal bears the name Morava Airport.
The first passenger aircraft at Morava Airport landed there on October 4, 2011; a Jat Airways ATR 72-202 carried Boris Tadić along with other government officials for a media briefing regarding the recovery effort from the 2010 Kraljevo earthquake.
The airport is located approximately 15 km (9.5 mi) from Kraljevo, 25 km (15.5 mi) from Čačak, 32 km (20 mi) from Gornji Milanovac, 39 km from Kragujevac, 70 km from Krusevac, 80 km from Jagodina, 80 km from Užice and 110 km from Novi Pazar. The airport is currently home to the 98th Air Base of the Serbian Air Force.
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.
Reconstruction
On September 9, 2010 Government of Serbia decided to prepare the airport for civilian traffic. Morava Airport was expected to finish construction of its terminal building in 2011, so it can service passenger and, more importantly, cargo flights. Total investment in the airport will be 2 billion dinars (20 million euros), and the plan is for Morava Airport to be completed by the end of 2011.
New control tower and runway
In the first phase that began in June 2006, the construction commenced of the new control tower (the former having been destroyed in 1999 by NATO) at the airport. The investment was expected to cost approximately 3.5 million euros. Once completed, Morava Airport would be able to receive smaller civilian aircraft with up to 100 seats.
That would 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 even the largest passenger or cargo aircraft.
Airlines and destinations
Serbian airline Jat Airways planned to introduce regular traffic between Kraljevo and Istanbul in June 2012., but it never materialized. Currently, there are no flights operating out of Morava Airport.