Białystok-Krywlany Airport

Białystok-Krywlany Airport (ICAO: EPBK) is an airport in Białystok, Poland.

Białystok-Krywlany Airport
Podlaskie headquarters of the Air Rescue Service at the airfield
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorAeroklub Polski (Aeroklub Bialystok)
ServesBiałystok
LocationBiałystok, Poland
Elevation AMSL502 ft / 153 m
Coordinates53°06′8.1678″N 23°10′13.7388″E
Map
QYY
Location of airport in Poland
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
8/26 950 grass
1/19 880 grass
14/32L (CLOSED) 830 concrete
14/32R (CLOSED) 830 concrete

Białystok-Krywlany Airport history

The selection of the area for a new airfield occurred on February 19, 1930, on the premises of the Provincial Committee LOPP on Warsaw Street. A representative of the Department of Aerospace, Engineer Hennenberg, presented four alternatives for the location of the airfield, indicating the area situated between the property Dojlidy and forest west of the farm Krywlany. After three years of negotiations, a decision was made. In 1935, the first hangar facilities and buildings were built.[1] The airfield served as a backup landing base for the fifth Aviation Regiment in Lida. Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, lighting was installed for night flights and construction started on a concrete runway. During World War II, the airport benefited from its use by the German Air Force.

Post-war activity 1945-onwards

Shortly after the war, the Bialystok Branch of the LOT Polish Airlines was created. On 30 April 1945, airlines began flying routes every week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays using Douglas DC-3 aircraft. The flight from Bialystok to Warsaw lasted 50 minutes and tickets cost 400 zł. This service was quickly discontinued. Since that time the airport has not seen regular service, with only gliders utilizing the airport. During the mid-'80s border guards stationed helicopters and light aircraft at the airport, in addition to a helicopter ambulance.

Passenger airport extension

Currently, Białystok is the largest EU city without an operating passenger airport. New plans have been announced to extend and modernize the airport, including the addition of a new runway to offer a passenger airline service. This led to a referendum in 2017.

Passenger airport referendum

A referendum was held 15 January 2017, with 98% of the voters showing support for a new regional airport. Turnout was just 12.96%, not enough for the results to be considered binding. The majority of voters were inhabitants of Białystok.[2]

Bibliography

See also

References
  1. Miroslaw Mikiciuk and Jan Tadeusz Puśko (Naprzeciw burzom i chmurom) http://epbk.pl/oferta/aeroklub/historia.html
  2. "Wynik referendum Oficial NIE nieważny. Frekwencja nie przekroczyła 13%". BiałystokOnline.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 13 May 2017.
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