Nikšić Airport (
Montenegrin: Аеродром Никшић / ''Aerodrom Nikšić'') is a sport
airport located near
Nikšić,
Montenegro.
History
The airport was built as a small airstrip with one grass runway during the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
On 14 April 1941, King
Peter II of Yugoslavia
Peter II ( sr-Cyrl, Петар II Карађорђевић, Petar II Karađorđević; 6 September 1923 – 3 November 1970) was the last king of Yugoslavia, reigning from October 1934 until his deposition in November 1945. He was the last r ...
used the airfield to leave the country, escaping the
Axis powers invasion. In Sept 1948, it was used as a stop for transfer of first 6
Spitfires
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Griff ...
from
Czechoslovakia to
Israel, thus playing a small role in
1948 Arab–Israeli War
The 1948 (or First) Arab–Israeli War was the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. It formally began following the end of the British Mandate for Palestine at midnight on 14 May 1948; the Israeli Declaration of Independence had ...
. During the
SFRY era, the airport was a notable
parachuting
Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes.
For ...
training center.
After the
breakup of Yugoslavia
The breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s. After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
, the airport fell into disuse, serving mostly as a
glider
Glider may refer to:
Aircraft and transport Aircraft
* Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight
** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of glidin ...
airstrip for enthusiasts in the local aviation club. The airport was chosen to be a host of 2010
FAI World Parachuting Championships,
World Parachuting Championships 2010
and its runway was asphalted, with length increased to 1,450m. With this latest upgrade, it is expected that the airport receives status of an international airport, so it can cater to the needs of general aviation.
Passenger airport
Currently there is no passenger terminal and no scheduled air traffic at the Niksic airport. This is the second largest municipality in Montenegro, it could have a working passenger airport. Construction of the airport Kapino Polje in Niksic is in progress. Local authorities expect to finish construction of the control tower and administration building soon. They hope that they will find a suitable partner and equip the airport for traffic in close future.
References
Airports in Montenegro
{{Montenegro-geo-stub