Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Pardubice Airport

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Airport type
  
Public

Elevation AMSL
  
741 ft / 226 m

09/27
  
8,202

Elevation
  
226 m

Phone
  
+420 466 310 155

Operator
  
EBA a. s.

Website
  
airport-pardubice.cz

Code
  
PED

Cargo
  
603,000 kg

Passenger count
  
184,140

Pardubice Airport

Serves
  
Pardubice, Czech Republic

Address
  
530 06 Pardubice 6, Czechia

Similar
  
Dopravní podnik města Pa, Závodiště, Dopravní podnik, Hlavní nádraží, Letiště

Profiles

The first smartwings training flight at pardubice airport


Pardubice Airport (Czech: Letiště Pardubice) is a military airport permitted to handle international civil air traffic in the city of Pardubice, Czech Republic. It is mainly used for charter flights to Southern Europe during the summer season, to transport Russian tourists into the Czech Republic and for cargo flights.

Contents

B737 800 travel service landing from burgas at pardubice airport


Early years

In 1910 Jan Kašpar, an engineer and aviation enthusiast, and his cousin Eugen Čihák, bought a Bleriot XI aeroplane and started with flight experiments on the local military exercise ground in Pardubice. On 16 April 1910 Kašpar flew for the first time and as the first person in Czech lands. In later years he arranged flight exhibitions over the country, most famously his flight from Pardubice to Prague (120 km) on 13 May 1911.

The first flying club in the Czech lands was founded in Pardubice on 26 April 1911. The club, named Pardubice Aviation society (Aviatické družstvo Pardubice) had five hangars but during World War I its activities stopped. After the war the place held occasional flight exhibitions. Since the end of 1929 the airport was used as a training place for aviation enthusiasts; expanded to 25 hectares, it was one of the largest in the country. Since 1933 the airport was also used for glider training. Between 1936 and 1937 new modern airport facilities were built.

During World War II the airport served for training of Luftwaffe pilots, toward the end of the war for combat operations, and was destroyed by bombing.

Development since World War II

Since 1950 the airport was used only for the military. A 2,500 m long concrete runway was built and a pilot training centre established. The airport hosted the 4th and 18th Fighter Air Wings (4. stíhaci a 18. stíhací letecký pluk) equipped with S-199, MiG-15, C-2, C-5, C-11, MiG-19S, MiG-19PM, MiG-21F and Mi-1 helicopters, the 47th Reconnaissance Wing (47. průzkumný letecký pluk) with MiG-21R, Il-28L, Il-14 and later with Su-22 and since 1986 the 30th Strafer Wing (30. bitevní letecký pluk) with Su-25K. Large support military units were located next to the airport and in the city.

During the 1990s the military role of the airport gradually declined. Since 1994 the airport was used as a training base (34. základna školního letectva) but in 2003 the army reduced the role of the airport to provide maintenance and logistics.

In 1993 the company East Bohemian Airport a.s. aiming to open the airport for civil use was formed. Officially, the airport was opened for civil operation on 18 May 1995. Since 1 November 1996 the airport has been authorised for operation under the Instrument flight rules.

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Pardubice:

Statistics

In 2007 the airport handled a peak of 93,659 of passengers (about 85% from Russia) and 888 tonnes of cargo; in 2009, hit by the financial crisis, 49,032 passengers, 343 tonnes of cargo and 994 movements.

References

Pardubice Airport Wikipedia