Alykel Airport
Encyclopedia
Alykel Airport is a large airport in Krasnoyarsk Krai
, Russia
located 35 km west of Norilsk
. Alykel is the only functional airfield around Norilsk. It handles medium-sized airliners and is serviced by 24-hour operations. Since it is capable of handling widebody jets it is designated as one of several emergency airfields for cross-polar airline routes.
It was originally constructed in the late 1950s as a staging base for Soviet bombers to reach the United States. This role continues to this day with caretaker status provided by the Russian Air Force's OGA (Arctic Control Group). Norilsk also is served by interceptor aircraft
under the 57 IAP (57th Interceptor Aircraft Regiment), which as of 1991 had 24 Sukhoi Su-15TM
aircraft .
Krasnoyarsk Krai
Krasnoyarsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It is the second largest federal subject after the Sakha Republic, and Russia's largest krai, occupying an area of , which is 13% of the country's total territory. The administrative center of the krai is the city of Krasnoyarsk...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
located 35 km west of Norilsk
Norilsk
Norilsk is an industrial city in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located between the Yenisei River and the Taymyr Peninsula. Population: It was granted city status in 1953. It is the northernmost city in Siberia and the world's second largest city north of the Arctic Circle...
. Alykel is the only functional airfield around Norilsk. It handles medium-sized airliners and is serviced by 24-hour operations. Since it is capable of handling widebody jets it is designated as one of several emergency airfields for cross-polar airline routes.
It was originally constructed in the late 1950s as a staging base for Soviet bombers to reach the United States. This role continues to this day with caretaker status provided by the Russian Air Force's OGA (Arctic Control Group). Norilsk also is served by interceptor aircraft
Interceptor aircraft
An interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent missions of enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Interceptors generally rely on high speed and powerful armament in order to complete their mission as quickly as possible and set up...
under the 57 IAP (57th Interceptor Aircraft Regiment), which as of 1991 had 24 Sukhoi Su-15TM
Sukhoi Su-15
The Sukhoi Su-15 was a twin-engined supersonic interceptor developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s to replace the Sukhoi Su-11, which was becoming obsolete as the United States and Britain introduced newer and more capable strategic bombers...
aircraft .