Donetsk International Airport

"DOK" redirects here. DOK may also refer to Disk-on-key.
Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev International Airport
Міжнародний аеропорт "Донецьк"

The ruins of the airport in December 2014 during the War in Donbass.
IATA: DOK – ICAO: UKCC
Summary
Airport type Public
Serves Donetsk, Ukraine
Elevation AMSL 238 m / 781 ft
Coordinates 48°04′30″N 037°43′32″E / 48.07500°N 37.72556°E / 48.07500; 37.72556Coordinates: 48°04′30″N 037°43′32″E / 48.07500°N 37.72556°E / 48.07500; 37.72556
Website airport.dn.ua
Map
UKCC

Location in Ukraine

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
08/26 4,000 13,123 Concrete
Statistics (2014)
Passengers Decrease 346,700
Source: Ukrainian AIP at EUROCONTROL[1]

Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev International Airport (Ukrainian: Міжнародний аеропорт "Донецьк") (IATA: DOK, ICAO: UKCC) is a nonoperational airport located 10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Donetsk, Ukraine, that was destroyed in 2014 during the War in Donbass.[2][3] It was built in the 1940s and 1950s and rebuilt in 1973 and again from 2011 to 2012. The airport is named for 20th-century composer Sergei Prokofiev, who was a native of Donetsk Oblast.

History

Development since the 1990s

The main terminal prior to the War in Donbass

In the 1990s, Donetsk Airport experienced a number of criminal incidents. On November 3, 1996, a group of assassins opened indiscriminate fire at the plane of prominent local businessman Yevhen Shcherban as passengers disembarked on the apron. Shcherban and his wife were killed, together with an airport ground technician and the plane's flight engineer.[4]

In accordance with the program of Donetsk for Euro 2012 in 2011, the Ukrainian construction company "Altcom" constructed a new airport terminal, which had been developed by experts from Croatia. The airline Donbassaero had its head office located at the airport,[5] but ceased operations in January 2013.[6]

2014–15 conflict

On 26 May 2014, Pro-Russian rebels stormed and took control of the airport soon after the new president, Petro Poroshenko, won the 2014 Ukrainian presidential election. Ukrainian forces launched air attacks to regain control of it from the rebels.[7] Two civilians and 38 combatants have been reported dead, and the Ukrainian military regained control of the airport.[8]

Service at the airport has not resumed since the battle.[9] The terminal building was severely damaged during the fighting.[10]

On 1 October 2014, Pro-Russian rebels tried to take back the airport. A spokesman for what the Ukrainian government calls its anti-terrorist operation said Ukrainian forces repelled four attacks on the airport that evening. A T-64 tank was destroyed and seven rebels were killed, Vladyslav Seleznyov told Kanal 5 TV. A reporter for Associated Press in Donetsk said on Wednesday, October 1, there were indications the government may already have lost control of the airport. Rebel-leader Alexander Zakharchenko said it was "95%" under separatist control. Ukrainian officials insist the airport was still under government control as of October 2014.[11]

The main terminal building and the control tower have been lying in ruins as a result of the fighting in early October 2014.[12][13]

It was reported on 17 January 2015 that rebel forces claimed to have taken complete control of Sergey Prokofiev International Airport, after a series of battles with pro-government forces over the complex.[14] One day later it was reported that government forces claimed to have retaken almost all parts of the airport lost to rebels in recent weeks, after a mass operation during the night.[15] On 21 January, Ukrainian forces admitted losing control of the airport to the Donetsk People's Republic rebels.[16]

Airlines and destinations

All civilian airline operations including Lufthansa, Air Berlin, Aeroflot, flydubai and many others were suspended due to armed conflict in October 2014, and the airport and its facilities were subsequently completely destroyed.[12]

Statistics

Donbassaero Airbus A320-200 at Donetsk International Airport
A Donetsk Airport Employee pin.
Year Passengers Change on previous year
2009 488,100
2010 612,200 Increase 25.4%
2011 829,300 Increase 35.5%
2012 1,000,000 Increase 20.6%
2013 1,110,400 Increase 11%
2014 346,700 (closed due to the War in Donbass) Decrease 68.8%

[17]

Accidents and incidents

See also

References

  1. ↑ EAD Basic
  2. ↑ "Donetsk Airport Cyborgs". Ukraine Today. 2014-10-15. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  3. ↑ "Донецкий аэропорт потерял стратегическое значение, поэтому отпала необходимость его удерживать – Генштаб". Unian. 29 January 2015.
  4. ↑ Донецкая мафия: Щербань Евгений (Ukrainian)
  5. ↑ "Contacts." Donbassaero. Retrieved on 27 April 2011. "Headquarter The headquarter of our company is located at international airport “Donetsk”. Address: DONBASSAERO, 1«V», Vzlyotnaya str., Donetsk, 83021, Ukraine"
  6. ↑ Donbassaero airline starts bankruptcy proceedings
  7. ↑ Ukraine crisis: Battle to control Donetsk airport
  8. ↑ "Dozens killed in fighting over Donetsk airport". Big News Network. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  9. ↑ Notice for passengers International Airport Donetsk. 26 May 2014. Accessed 31 May 2014
  10. ↑ "Новости Донбасса :: В интернете появились фото разгромленного аэропорта имени Прокофьева ФОТО". Novosti.dn.ua. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  11. ↑ "Ukraine rebels renew push to take Donetsk airport". BBC News. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  12. 1 2 "Welcome to Donetsk: Shocking pictures show Ukrainian airport lying in tatters as UN says at least 331 have been killed since last month’s ceasefire was agreed". The Daily Mail. 8 October 2014.
  13. ↑ "Donetsk airport damage captured by drone". BBC. 19 January 2015.
  14. ↑ "The Scars of War: Full scale of destruction at Donetsk Airport". The Daily Mail. 17 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  15. ↑ "Ukraine says retake most of Donetsk airport from rebels". World Bullentin. 18 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  16. ↑ "Ukraine forces admit loss of Donetsk airport to rebels". The Guardian. 21 January 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  17. ↑ http://www.airport.dn.ua/en/airport/news/
  18. ↑ "Plane crash landing in Ukraine kills at least five: officials". Reuters. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  19. ↑ "BBC News - Five killed as plane crash-lands in eastern Ukraine". Bbc.co.uk. 2013-02-13. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  20. ↑ "AN-24 crash-landing kills 5 in Donetsk — RT News". Rt.com. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  21. ↑ "Deaths reported in Ukraine plane crash - CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2014-08-03.

External links

Media related to Donetsk International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

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