Batajnica Air Base

Batajnica Air Base Аеродром Батајница Aerodrom Batajnica
Batajnica control tower
IATA: BJY – ICAO: LYBT
Summary
Airport type	Military air base
Operator	Serbian Air Force
Serves	Belgrade,  Serbia
Location	Belgrade
Built	1947
In use	1951 - present
Elevation AMSL	ft / 86 m
Coordinates	44°56′07″N 020°15′27″E / 44.93528°N 20.25750°ECoordinates: 44°56′07″N 020°15′27″E / 44.93528°N 20.25750°E
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) (Serbian: Аеродром Бaтajницa / Aerodrom Batajnica) 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:

• 204th Air Brigade, composed of:^[4]

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

• Air Force and Air Defense Training Center :^[5]
• Aeronautical Plant "Moma Stanojlović"
• Military Technical Testing Center Flight Test Section

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

External links

• Airport information for LYBT at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
• Batajnica Airport map*
• Batajnica Airbase pre-strike with visible control tower