Gjakova Airport

Gjakova Airport AMIKO (Albanian: Aeroporti i Gjakovës, Serbian: Аеродром Ђаковица/Aerodrom Đakovica) is an airport in the village Lugbunar, near Gjakova in western Kosovo. The airport is currently in military use by the Kosovo Security Force.[2] The possibility for the airport to serve a dual civilian-military use has also been mentioned. In that scenario, the airport would host low-cost commercial airlines and cargo flights.[3][4] However, such plans by the Kosovo government are difficult to implement due to the contract with “Limak & Aeroport de Lyon,” which does not allow for competition to the Pristina International Airport until 2030.[2]

Gjakova Airport

Aeroporti i Gjakovës AMIKO
Aerodrom Gjakova AMIKO
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
Owner Kosovo
OperatorMinistry of Defense
ServesGjakova
LocationLugbunar, Kosovo
Elevation AMSL1,370 ft / 418 m
Coordinates42°26′07″N 020°25′39″E
Map
Gjakova Airfield is located in Kosovo
Gjakova Airfield
Gjakova Airfield
Location of airport in Kosovo
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
17/35 5,904 1,800 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF[1]
Memorial to the first flight to land at Gjakova Airport on 23 September 1999, an Italian Airforce G 222

History

The airport was built by the Kosovo Force (KFOR) following the 1999 Kosovo War, next to an existing airfield used for agricultural purposes, and was used mainly for military and humanitarian flights. On 18 December 2013, the airport was handed over to the Government of Kosovo from the Italian Air Force. Under Italian Air Force operations, Gjakova Airfield handled more than 27,000 aircraft, 220,000 passengers and the carriage of more than 40,000 tons of cargo.[5]

After its transfer to the Kosovo authorities, the Kosovo government planned to turn the Gjakova Airport into a civilian and commercial airport and established the "Gjakova Airport" public enterprise in 2014.[6] The airport was audited by the Civil aviation authority of Kosovo in 2016, and the report concluded that the airport had the necessary infrastructure to serve commercial flights.[2]

In 2018 the Kosovo Government transferred the Gjakova Airport to the Kosovo Ministry Defense for the purpose of it being used by the Kosovo Security Force. The airport was renovated in 2021 and 2022 by the Ministry of Defense and its perimeter defenses were upgraded.[2] It is reported that the Gjakova Airport serves as the main base of Kosovo's fleet of Baykar Bayraktar TB2 UAVs.

See also

References
  1. Airport information from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
  2. Krasniqi-Veseli, Luljeta (2002-02-03). "Aeroporti i Gjakovës në listën e premtimeve të papërmbushura" [Gjakova Airport in the list of unfulfilled promises]. Radio Free Europe (in Albanian). Pristina. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  3. "Aeroporti i Kosovës në Gjakovë për cargo, çmime të lira dhe trajnime për pilotë". Zëri.info. Archived from the original on 2015-01-17. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
  4. "Aeroporti Gjakovë, news report". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  5. "Aeroporto AMIKO: passaggio di responsabilità". Ministry of Defense, Republic of Italy. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  6. "Aktivitetet e Ministrisë së Tregtisë dhe Industrisë: Themelohet Ndërmarrja Publike "Aeroporti i Gjakovës"". Ministria e Tregtisë dhe Industrisë. Archived from the original on 2015-02-27.
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