Bolshoye Savino Airport
Encyclopedia
Bolshoye Savino Airport is an international airport in Perm Krai
, Russia
located 16 km southwest of Perm
, in the village of Bolshoye Savino. It is the only airport in Perm Krai with regular scheduled passenger flights. The majority of flights are between Perm and Moscow. The airport is linked to the city centre by coach.
It is a joint civil-military airfield with a small number of fighter and bomber pads. It is operated by 764 IAP (764th Interceptor Aviation Regiment), the only regiment of combat aviation in the 5th Army of VVS and PVO
's area (and successor of the 4th Army of PVO in the USSR). However, according to Air Forces Monthly, July 2007, the 764th Regiment reports directly to Russian Air Force
headquarters.
. On May 1, 1960 the pilots of 764 IAP Boris Ajvazyan and Sergey Safronov were involved in the interception of the United States U-2 spy aircraft; unfortunately Safronov, piloting a MiG-19, was shot down by friendly fire and died.
The year 1965 marked a major change in the airfield's operation. Bolshoye Savino became a joint civil airport, servicing medium-sized airliners, now with 39 parking spots near terminal and cargo area.
During the Cold War
the airfield operated up to 38 MiG-25 interceptors, with a number of Yak-25, and Yak-28 aircraft and received modern MiG-31s in 1991. In 2002, the runway was lengthened from 2,500 to 3,200 meters.
, Sharm el-Sheikh
and other tourist destinations.
Perm Krai
Perm Krai is a federal subject of Russia that came into existence on December 1, 2005 as a result of the 2004 referendum on the merger of Perm Oblast and Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. The city of Perm became the administrative center of the new federal subject...
, 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 16 km southwest of Perm
Perm
Perm is a city and the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the banks of the Kama River, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. From 1940 to 1957 it was named Molotov ....
, in the village of Bolshoye Savino. It is the only airport in Perm Krai with regular scheduled passenger flights. The majority of flights are between Perm and Moscow. The airport is linked to the city centre by coach.
It is a joint civil-military airfield with a small number of fighter and bomber pads. It is operated by 764 IAP (764th Interceptor Aviation Regiment), the only regiment of combat aviation in the 5th Army of VVS and PVO
5th Air Army
The 5th Air Army was the Russian Air Force's smallest Air Army, with the headquarters located in Yekaterinburg, its zone of responsibility being the Volga-Ural Military District, on the border between Europe and Asia...
's area (and successor of the 4th Army of PVO in the USSR). However, according to Air Forces Monthly, July 2007, the 764th Regiment reports directly to Russian Air Force
Russian Air Force
The Russian Air Force is the air force of Russian Military. It is currently under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Zelin. The Russian Navy has its own air arm, the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet Aviatsiya Voyenno Morskogo Flota , or AV-MF).The Air Force was formed from...
headquarters.
History
Construction of Bolshoye Savino took place in 1952 under the personal control of Marshal Zhukov, who was exiled by Stalin after World War II into the Urals to take command of the Ural Military DistrictVolga-Urals Military District
The Volga-Ural Military District was a military district of the Russian Ground Forces, formed on 1 September 2001 by the amalgamation of the Volga Military District and the Ural Military District. The headquarters of the Ural Military District, located at Yekaterinburg became the new headquarters...
. On May 1, 1960 the pilots of 764 IAP Boris Ajvazyan and Sergey Safronov were involved in the interception of the United States U-2 spy aircraft; unfortunately Safronov, piloting a MiG-19, was shot down by friendly fire and died.
The year 1965 marked a major change in the airfield's operation. Bolshoye Savino became a joint civil airport, servicing medium-sized airliners, now with 39 parking spots near terminal and cargo area.
During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
the airfield operated up to 38 MiG-25 interceptors, with a number of Yak-25, and Yak-28 aircraft and received modern MiG-31s in 1991. In 2002, the runway was lengthened from 2,500 to 3,200 meters.
Airlines and destinations
There are also semi-regular charter flights to HurghadaHurghada
Hurghada is a city in the Red Sea Governorate of Egypt. It is a main tourist center and second largest city in Egypt located on the Red Sea coast.- Overview :...
, Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt, on the coastal strip along the Red Sea. Its population is approximately 35,000...
and other tourist destinations.
Accidents
- Aeroflot Flight 821Aeroflot Flight 821Aeroflot Flight 821, operated by Aeroflot-Nord in a service agreement with Aeroflot and as its subsidiary, crashed on approach to Perm Airport on 14 September 2008 at 5:10 local time . All 82 passengers and 6 crew members were killed...
, operated by Aeroflot-NordAeroflot-NordJSC "Nordavia" , formerly known as Aeroflot-Nord is an airline with its head office on the grounds of Talagi Airport in Arkhangelsk, Russia. It operates mainly scheduled domestic and regional services...
in a service agreement with AeroflotAeroflotOJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation, based on passengers carried per year...
, crashed on approach in rainy weather on September 14, 2008, killing all 88 people on board.
External links
Official Site- NOAA/NWS current weather observations
- ASN Accident history for USPP 60th Anniversary of the 4th PVO Army - Russian but contains information on airfield history