Užice-Ponikve Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Užice-Ponikve Airport
nativename =
nativename-a = Аеродром Ужице-Поникве
nativename-r = erodrom Užice-Ponikve


image-width =
caption =
IATA = UZC
ICAO = LYUZ
type = Military (becoming public in 2008)
owner =
operator = Military of Serbia
city-served =
location = Užice
elevation-f = 2,966
elevation-m = 904
coordinates = Coord|43|53|56|N|19|41|52|E|type:airport|display=inline,title
website =
metric-elev =
metric-rwy =
r1-number = 11/29
r1-length-f = 10,499
r1-length-m = 3,200
r1-surface = Asphalt
stat-year =
stat1-header =
stat1-data =
stat2-header =
stat2-data =
footnotes =

Užice-Ponikve Airport airport codes|UZC|LYUZ (Serbian: "Аеродром Ужице-Поникве / Aerodrom Užice-Ponikve") also known as Lepa Glava Airport is a military airport in Serbia under heavy reconstruction. The airport is located 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) northwest from the city of Užice. The airport is being reconstructed at the moment in order to become a civil airport.

History

Užice-Ponikve Airport was built in the period from 1979 to 1983 but until 1992 it hasn’t been actively used.

In 1996 it was turned into public airport. Jat Airways, then known as Jat Yugoslav Airlines, served the airport twice a week for a domestic line Užice - Belgrade - Tivat - Užice, with an ATR-72. Later the airline stopped service because there was not a large enough passenger load.

In 1999 it was heavily bombarded by NATO forces during the bombing of Yugoslavia. The airport now has a brighter future with construction/reconstruction, due to interest of local companies in cargo transport and great potential of this region in tourism (some of the nearby tourist centers are Zlatibor, Tara mountain and Mokra Gora).

On September 27, 2006 the military of Serbia announced that it will sell Ponikve Airport therefore meaning that the airport will become public.

Heavy reconstruction (in progress)

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is investing 3.5 million Serbian dinars for the completion of the runway reconstruction at Užice-Ponikve Airport. As earlier agreed, Belgrade Nikola Tesla will provide financial and logistics support in order to create conditions for civil air operations from Užice, as soon as possible. The management of Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport also plans to make Užice-Ponikve it's cargo base for the western Serbia region.

The runway at Užice-Ponikve Airport (The 3,200 m [10,499 ft] in length after reconstruction, on first old blueprints length of runway is the 3,400 m [11,155 ft] , to can accept large cargo aircraft. The low air pressure at this altitude makes a higher takeoff and landing speed necessary, and therefore a longer runway.) is among longest in the Balkans region, and the second longest in Serbia. Due to this, the airport has a potential of handling large aircraft.

The Government of Serbia is also supporting current works with 2,5 million euros. Reconstruction commenced on the 24th of July, 2006 by the "Putevi Užice" company, while the EU invested 124,000 euros. [http://www.politika.co.yu/detaljno.php?nid=27200]

More 19 million euros is needed to complete the reconstruction of the airport.

Municipality of Užice bidding on the "NIP" (National Investment Plan) to finish airport reconstruction.

RAIRDev project

Užice-Ponikve Airport is involved in the "Regional Airports Interaction for Regional Development" project [http://www.cadses.net/projects/apprpro.html?projectId=1572&topic=projects/apprpro] , organized by [http://www.cadses.net CADSES INTERREG] cooperation program. The aim of the project is strengthning of integrated and sustainable regional development based on the creation of a flexible air transport system provided by a cooperation network between regional airports. Beside Užice-Ponikve Airport, airports involved in the project are another 7 regional airports in Greece Central Greece Volos-Nea Anchialos International Airport, Hungary Szombathely-Savaria International Airport [http://www.ivao.aero/db/ss/airport.asp?Id=LHSY *] [http://www.savariaairport.hu **] , Slovakia Žilina Airport, Poland Slupsk-Redzikowo Airport [http://www.ivao.aero/db/ss/airport.asp?Id=EPSK *] [http://www.panorama-miast.com.pl/105/assets/images/a/slupsk2.jpg**] , Italy Ancona "Raffaello Sanzio"-Falconara Airport, Germany Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport and Ukraine Ivano-Frankivsk International Airport.

Service

The management of Užice-Ponikve Airport confirmed interest of low cost, scheduled and chartered airlines.

ee also

*List of airports in Serbia

Sources

* [http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1017860/serbia_buried_planes_make_ponikve_military_airport_unfit_for_civilian/index.html Buried Planes Make Ponikve Military Airport Unfit for Civilian Use] (Danas, 26 July 2007)
* [http://www.novosti.co.yu/code/navigate.php?Id=10&status=jedna&vest=117022&datum=2008-02-29 "Zlatna koka" širi krila]
* [http://www.politika.co.yu/rubrike/Srbija/t27200.lt.html Evropa hoće aerodrom Ponikve]
* [http://www.blic.co.yu/blic/arhiva/2006-10-12/strane/srbija.htm Ponikve osposobljene za vojne letove - Uklonjeno 10 raketa]
* [http://arhiva.kurir-info.co.yu/Arhiva/2006/april/16/N-03-16042006.shtml "Avionom do Tare i Zlatibora" - Vojni aerodrom Ponikve od septembra se otvara za civilni saobraćaj] (Kurir, 16.04.2006.)
* [http://www.danas.co.yu/20060228/terazije1.html Pista za maline i turiste] (Danas, 28.02.2006)
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20040407205453/http://www.ekonomist.co.yu/magazin/em161/tem/tem1.htm "Ponikve" ponovo niču]
* [http://www.politika.co.yu:8080/uploads/rubrike/31939/i/1/Uzice,-aerodrom-Ponikve,-S.jpgControl tower with Runway photo]
* [http://www.danas.co.yu/20070726/img/terazije1_2.jpgRunway photo]
* [http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1080969680044904253ifIXIp Ponikve Airport map]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ix2yhiol28 Ponikve Airport Movie]
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