Kuçovë Air Base

Kuçovë Air Base
Kuçovë, Berat, Albania
Near Kuçovë
LAKV
LAKV
Location of Kuçovë Airport in Albania
Coordinates 40°46′19.0″N 19°54′6.8″E / 40.771944°N 19.901889°E / 40.771944; 19.901889 (Kuçovë Airport (Kuçovë))Coordinates: 40°46′19.0″N 19°54′6.8″E / 40.771944°N 19.901889°E / 40.771944; 19.901889 (Kuçovë Airport (Kuçovë))
Type Air Force Base
Site information
Owner Albanian Ministry of Defence
Operator Albanian Air Force
Site history
Built 1952 (1952)[1]
In use May 15, 1955 (1955-05-15) [1]
Events Albanian Unrest of 1997
Airfield information
Identifiers ICAO: LAKV
Elevation 41 meters (135 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
14/32 2,853 meters (9,360 ft) Concrete
09/27 2,500 meters (8,200 ft) Concrete (in reserve)[1]
Source: Landings.com[2]

Kuçovë Air Base (ICAO: LAKV) is a military airport located near Kuçovë, Berat, Albania.

History

Albanian Air Force Shenyang F-6 fighters within Kuçovë Air Base's tunnel.
Albanian Air Force Shenyang F-6 fighters outside Kuçovë Air Base's tunnel.

Construction of the air base began in 1952 and was completed in 1955.[1]

During the 1997 crisis, Kuçovë Air Base was captured by rebels.[3] The damage caused by the protesters was not repaired until 1999.[1]

From 2002 to 2004 the base was renovated to NATO standards. Improvements included a new control tower, new lighting, and repaving.[1]

In 2004, Albania announced plans to scrap 80 obsolete aircraft in an effort to modernize for NATO membership. The aircraft being scrapped included MiG-15s, MiG-19s, and Yakovlev trainers as well as Shenyang J-5s and J-6s, Chinese-made MiG fighters. The aircraft were stored in Kuçovë during this process.[4] Recently, many of these retired craft have been auctioned by the government of Albania.[5]

In 2011, the base served as a filming location for the third episode of Top Gear's sixth series.[1] The episode was seen as offensive to many due to derogatory comments made about Albanians by the cast.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Kuçovë". Abandoned, Forgotten, & Little Known Airfields in Europe. 10 August 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  2. ↑ Airport record for Kuçovë Air Base at Landings.com. Retrieved 2013-8-1
  3. ↑ Sullivan, Stacy (24 March 1997). "Out of Albania". Maclean's. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Rogers Media.
  4. ↑ "In Brief: Albania Reform". Flight International. United Kingdom: Reed Business Information Ltd. 13 April 2004. p. 19.
  5. ↑ Semini, Llazar (6 March 2016). "Albania, once Europe's most isolated country under a 50-year Communist regime, is selling dozens of obsolete Eastern Bloc military jets". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  6. ↑ Quinn, Ben (7 February 2011). "Top Gear on the offensive again – now it's Albania's turn". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 July 2016.


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