Beja Airbase
Beja Air Base (Portuguese: Base Aérea de Beja; IATA: BYJ, ICAO: LPBJ), officially designated as Air Base No. 11 (Portuguese: Base Aérea Nº 11, BA11) is one of the most important military airbases in Portugal, 9 km (5.6 mi) northwest of Beja,[1] 100 km (62 mi) north of Algarve. It is used by the Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) and has two parallel runways in the 01/19 direction, the biggest being 3,450 m × 60 m (11,320 ft × 200 ft).[1] The base is home to two training squadrons, one helicopter squadron and one maritime patrol squadron.
| Beja Air Base Air Base 11 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Base Aérea de Beja Base Aérea Nº 11 | |||||||||
| Near Beja, Alentejo in Portugal | |||||||||
 An aerial view of Beja Airbase | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
  Beja Location in Portugal | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 38°04′44″N 007°55′57″W | ||||||||
| Type | Military airfield | ||||||||
| Area | 800 hectares (2,000 acres) | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of National Defence | ||||||||
| Operator | Portuguese Air Force | ||||||||
| Controlled by | Air Command | ||||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1962–1964 | ||||||||
| In use | 1964 – present | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: BYJ, ICAO: LPBJ, WMO: 085620 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 193.8 metres (636 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Airfield shared with Beja Airport Source: Portuguese AIP[1] | |||||||||
History
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The base was established on 21 October 1964, originally built to serve as a training facility for the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), due to airspace limitations within West Germany.[2] The Luftwaffe operated from the airbase until 1993, during which period it was used particularly for weapons training.[3] In 1987 the Portuguese Air Force's 103 Squadron using Lockheed T-33 and Northrop T-38 aircraft was relocated from Montijo. After their arrival, the base started to host a mixed array of fixed and rotary-wing trainers, as well as maritime patrol aircraft.[2]
Between 1993 and 2018, the PoAF has operated Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet aircraft from the airbase, which were donated by Germany as compensation for leaving the air base in 1993.[3]
Current state
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The base is now modern and well-equipped, employing around 1,000 personnel.[2] It comprises two parallel runways running north–south (01L/19R, 01R/19L, the largest being 3,450 m (11,320 ft) in length and the other 2,951 m (9,682 ft) long. A third parallel runway/taxiway supports its helicopter facilities.[2] Beja Air Base is one of the most important training facilities of the PoAF and during 2008 operated over 70,000 flying hours.[4] The first training phase comprises flying on Socata TB 30 Epsilon aircraft, which currently has 15 operational aircraft.[5] The 552 Squadron operates 5 AgustaWestland AW119 Koala helicopters tasked with tactical transport for the army, helicopter pilot training and search and rescue. The 601 Squadron currently uses 5 P-3C Orion Cup + aircraft which provide 24/7 search and rescue and anti-submarine warfare cover.[6]
Construction of a civilian terminal was undertaken in 2009, with this facility being aimed at low-cost carriers.[7]
Beja's runway is the only mainland Portugal runway capable of accommodating an Airbus A380. The Portuguese wet lease airline Hi Fly previously operated its A380, purchased second-hand in 2018, from Beja.[8]
Tenant units
- 101 Sqn. - TB30 Epsilon[9]
- 103 Sqn. "Caracóis" (Snails) — complementary flying training and operational transition training[5]
- 552 Sqn. "Zangões" (Drones) — tactical air transport operations and complementary flying training in helicopters[10]
- 601 Sqn. "Lobos" (Wolves) — maritime patrol squadron[6]
Notes
- AIP Part 3 - AD 2 Aerodromes Archived 2012-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
- Air Forces Monthly, p. 36.
- Barreira, Victor (20 November 2017). "Portugal to phase out Alpha Jet A". IHS Jane's 360. Archived from the original on 20 November 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- Air Forces Monthly, p. 38.
- Air Forces Monthly, p. 39.
- Air Forces Monthly, p. 41.
- Air Forces Monthly, p. 37.
- "HiFly's A380 lands at Beja". The Portugal News Online. 2018-07-24. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
- AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. August 2020. p. 10.
- Air Forces Monthly, p. 40.
References
- Base Tour: Beja, Portugal - Portuguese Super Base, Air Forces Monthly magazine, March 2009 issue.
External links
- Portuguese Air Force - Air Base 11, Beja (in English)
- Empresa de Desenvolvimento do Aeroporto de Beja (in Portuguese)