Latakia Bassel al-Assad International Airport

مطار باسل الأسد الدولي
Summary
Airport typePublic / Military
OwnerGovernment of Syria
OperatorDirectorate General of Civil Aviation
ServesLatakia, Syria
LocationJableh
Hub forSyrian Air
Time zoneAST (UTC+03:00)
Elevation AMSL157 ft / 48 m
Coordinates35°24′03″N 35°56′55″E / 35.40083°N 35.94861°E / 35.40083; 35.94861
Map
LTK is located in Syria
LTK
LTK
Location of airport in Syria
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
17/35 2,797 9,175 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF[1][2]

Bassel al-Assad International Airport (Arabic: مطار باسل الأسد الدولي) (IATA: LTK, ICAO: OSLK) is an airport serving Latakia,[1] the principal port city of Syria. The airport is named for Bassel al-Assad (1962–1994), son of former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and brother of his successor Bashar al-Assad.

Facilities

The airport is at an elevation of 157 ft (48 m)[1] above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 17/35 with an asphalt surface measuring 2,797 m × 45 m (9,177 ft × 148 ft).[1]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Cham Wings Airlines Sharjah, Tehran–Imam Khomeini
Mahan Air Tehran–Imam Khomeini
Syrian Air[3] Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Damascus, Dubai–International, Kuwait City, Sharjah

Military use

Adjacent to the civilian airport buildings is the Russian Khmeimim airbase, the principal Russian airbase being used in the air campaign in Syria since 30 September 2015. The name of the air base Хмеймим has been also transliterated as Hemeimeem Air Base and Hmeymin Air Base.[4] Among the Russian servicemen posted, there were as of early October 2015 around 600 members of the Russian Naval Infantry, whose role is to help provide security for the airbase.[5]

Russian military activity at Latakia Airport had been disclosed by American intelligence officials by early September 2015.[6] The same month, U.S. officials expressed concern about the Russian activities there.[7] The Su-24 shot down by Turkish fighters on 24 November 2015 was said to be on its way back to Khmeimim.[8]

The base, operative since 30 September 2015, can handle Antonov An-124 and Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft. It has parking locations for more than 50 military aircraft including Su-24s, Su-25s, and Su-34s. In addition, the base is home to T-90 tanks, BTR-82 vehicles, artillery and Mi-24 gunship helicopters and Mi-8 support choppers. Air-conditioned accommodations were erected within a few months in 2015. Other new structures include storage facilities, field kitchens, and refueling stations. Supplies are flown in from Russia or shipped via Tartus harbor 50 km away. On 26 November 2015, it was reported that S-400 missile system had been deployed by Russia.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Airport information for OSLK[usurped] from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
  2. ↑ Airport information for LTK at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
  3. ↑ "Destination". www.syriaair.com. Archived from the original on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  4. ↑ "Press-tour of the Russian and foreign Media representatives to the Hmeymim airbase in Syria". Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  5. ↑ Myers, Steven Lee; Schmitt, Eric (14 October 2015). "Russian Military Uses Syria as Proving Ground, and West Takes Notice". The New York Times. Online. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  6. ↑ Rob Crilly (5 September 2015). "Russia 'is building military base in Syria'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Luis Martinez (9 September 2015). "Russian Build-Up Continues at Base in Syria, Causing Concern Among US Officials". ABC News. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  8. ↑ "Минобороны РФ: российский Су-24 сбили при возвращении на авиабазу в Сирии" (in Russian). Russian News Agency TASS. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  9. ↑ "Россия развернула в Сирии ЗРК С-400". Kommersant. 26 November 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.


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