Campo dell'Oro Airport
Encyclopedia
Ajaccio – Napoléon Bonaparte Airport, Aéroport d'Ajaccio Napoléon Bonaparte, , formerly Campo dell'Oro Airport, is the main airport
serving Ajaccio
on the French
island of Corsica
. It is located in Ajaccio
, a commune of the département of Corse-du-Sud
, 5 km (3.1 mi) east of the harbor.
The airport is the main base of regional airline
CCM Airlines
, which operates services to continental France.
but apparently offered no transportation services, as the first regular flights to Marseille
began with the institution of a seaplane service in 1935 from Ajaccio Harbor.
In 1940 a Vichy
Air Corp unit was kept inactive at Campo dell'Oro. The liberation of Corsica began with the landing by sea in 1943 of I Corps
at Ajaccio in Operation Vésuve. A few months later Fighter Group GC2/7 of the Free French Air Force
, a French unit of the Royal Air Force
, were operational on the grass field at Campo dell'Oro with Spitfire
s. Heavy aircraft were unable to land and came to mishap in the soft surface.
In 1944 the United States Army Air Forces
took over the airport and put down a hard surface of perforated metallic mats from which a squadron of P-51
's flew. They defended B-24
's flying from new airfields constructed on the east coast of Corsica. Campo dell'Oro was a challenge for the larger aircraft because of its relatively short runways and proximity to the mountains. Toward the end of the war the runways were paved, the foundation of the modern airport. The Americans also made a concerted effort to eradicate malaria
by infilling wetlands and spraying pesticides in coastal regions.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
serving Ajaccio
Ajaccio
Ajaccio , is a commune on the island of Corsica in France. It is the capital and largest city of the region of Corsica and the prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud....
on the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
island of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
. It is located in Ajaccio
Ajaccio
Ajaccio , is a commune on the island of Corsica in France. It is the capital and largest city of the region of Corsica and the prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud....
, a commune of the département of Corse-du-Sud
Corse-du-Sud
Corse-du-Sud is a French département composed of the southern part of the island of Corsica.- History :The department was formed on 15 September 1975, when the Corse department was divided into Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud...
, 5 km (3.1 mi) east of the harbor.
The airport is the main base of regional airline
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
CCM Airlines
CCM Airlines
Compagnie Aérienne Corse Méditerranée S.A.E.M., trading as Air Corsica , is a regional airline with its head office on the grounds of Ajaccio – Campo dell'Oro Airport in Ajaccio, Corsica, France. It operates passenger services from Corsica to metropolitan France...
, which operates services to continental France.
History
Campo dell'Oro before aviation was an alluvial plain at the mouth of the Gravona. The meaning of "Field of Gold" remains obscure; some 19th-century authors refer to a "rich cropland"; others, to a malaria-infested marshland. A grass flying field existed there before World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
but apparently offered no transportation services, as the first regular flights to Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
began with the institution of a seaplane service in 1935 from Ajaccio Harbor.
In 1940 a Vichy
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
Air Corp unit was kept inactive at Campo dell'Oro. The liberation of Corsica began with the landing by sea in 1943 of I Corps
I Corps (France)
The I Corps was first formed before World War I. During World War II it fought in the Campaign for France in 1940, on the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Elba in 1943 - 1944, and in the campaigns to liberate France in 1944 and invade Germany in 1945....
at Ajaccio in Operation Vésuve. A few months later Fighter Group GC2/7 of the Free French Air Force
Free French Air Force
The Free French Air Force was the air arm of the Free French Forces during the Second World War.-Fighting for Free France — the FAFL in French North Africa :...
, a French unit of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, were operational on the grass field at Campo dell'Oro with Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s. Heavy aircraft were unable to land and came to mishap in the soft surface.
In 1944 the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
took over the airport and put down a hard surface of perforated metallic mats from which a squadron of P-51
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
's flew. They defended B-24
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
's flying from new airfields constructed on the east coast of Corsica. Campo dell'Oro was a challenge for the larger aircraft because of its relatively short runways and proximity to the mountains. Toward the end of the war the runways were paved, the foundation of the modern airport. The Americans also made a concerted effort to eradicate malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
by infilling wetlands and spraying pesticides in coastal regions.