Sliač Airport

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Sliač Airport

Letisko Sliač
Airport Sliac.jpg
Summary
Airport typePublic / military
OperatorLetisko Sliač a.s.
LocationSliač, Slovakia
Elevation AMSL1,043 ft / 318 m
Coordinates48°38′17″N 19°8′3″E / 48.63806°N 19.13417°E / 48.63806; 19.13417
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
18/36 2,400 7,678 Concrete

Sliač Airport (IATA: SLD, ICAO: LZSL) or, historically, Letisko Tri Duby (literally, "The Three Oaks Airport") is an international airport in central Slovakia situated between the towns of Zvolen and Banská Bystrica and near the spa town of Sliač. The airport has one runway which is 2,400 m long (18/36). The airport is used by the military as well as commercially for civilian flights.

History[]

The "Tri Duby Airport" played an important role during the Slovak National Uprising in 1944 when it became the most important airport of the Anti-Fascism in Slovakia. Between September 6 and October 25, 1944, the airport was being used as the main base of the Slovak Insurgent Air Force but because of the advancing German units, it later had to be evacuated. While the territory controlled by the Slovak rebels was being encircled by the German forces, "Tri Duby" and the nearby Zolná airport were the main gateways to the rest of the world. In addition to the significant Soviet aid to Slovakia, the United States, too, were sending in supplies and OSS operatives through "Tri Duby", and these flights were also used to evacuate American aeronauts liberated from the German POW camps.

The airport changed its name from "Tri Duby" to Sliač in 1945. In 2009, it was closed for a major reconstruction project financed in part by NATO and the EU. It was reopened for military use in May 2011, and for civilian use in June 2011.

Following the Prague Spring in 1968, the airfield became a base for the Soviet Union's air forces, which belonged to relations and Sliač as a fighter-bomber and surveillance base here until 1990.

The Soviets leave in 1990 and in 1991 the 81st Czechoslovak Fighter Squadron, 81st Samostatná Stíhacia Letka (81SSLt), traditionally armed with MiG-21MF/UM/US and some people L-39ZA, buy the place.

Sliač Airport operated only summer charter flights to popular sea resort destinations in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and Egypt.

Since October 2021, the airport has been closed to all civilian traffic.

Airlines and destinations[]

The following airlines serve regular seasonal charter flights to and from Sliač Airport:[1]

AirlinesDestinations
Corendon Airlines Seasonal charter: Antalya
FlyEgypt Seasonal charter: Hurghada
Freebird Airlines Seasonal charter: Antalya
Smartwings Seasonal charter: Antalya, Burgas, Hurghada, Monastir

Statistics[]

Annual passenger traffic at SLD airport. See source Wikidata query.

Passenger throughput and operations since 2013:[2]

Year Passengers Change Cargo (tonnes)
2013 24,165 63.64
2014 23,663 -2.08% 296.00
2015 35,682 +50.79% 116.50
2016 22,511 -36.91% 592.20
2017 34,827 +54.71% 485.29
2018 41,866 +20.27% 73.92
2019[3] 39,089 -6.68%

References[]

  1. ^ https://airportsliac.sk/en/for-passenger/flight-timetable-2/#content
  2. ^ https://www.mindop.sk/files/statistika_vud/vykony_letisk.htm
  3. ^ https://www.noviny.sk/474496-letisko-sliac-ma-za-sebou-jednu-z-najuspesnejsich-sezon-prepravilo-viac-ako-39-tisic-cestujucich

External links[]

Media related to Sliač Airport at Wikimedia Commons


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