Lapraka Airfield
Encyclopedia
The Lapraka Airfield or Tirana Aerodrome was a Airfield located in Tirana
, Albania
. It is the former airport of Albania's capital. It used to house an air force regiment with Y-5s, operating from the old runway, and later, from the grass runway. Currently, Lapraka only houses the helicopters of the Albanian government.
The airfield is located in the north western part of Tirana
, although it is hardly recognizable as such. From the town center, take the Rruga Durresi towards Durres
.
North of the old runway, which is currently in use as a road, the former grass runway can be found. The helispot is the only operational part of the airfield and is located to the south east side.
. It was originally built in 1939 by the Italians. It was home to the first units of the Albanian Air Force
in 1951, and most recently the home base to 4050 Regt. It was later made a reserve air base with no permanently based units. By May 2006 the airfield had become completely surrounded by the city of Tirane, and the air force had moved out in 2005. The main runway is now a road, so the only active users are Ministry of the Interior
and Ministry of Health
helicopters.
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. It is the former airport of Albania's capital. It used to house an air force regiment with Y-5s, operating from the old runway, and later, from the grass runway. Currently, Lapraka only houses the helicopters of the Albanian government.
The airfield is located in the north western part of Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
, although it is hardly recognizable as such. From the town center, take the Rruga Durresi towards Durres
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
.
North of the old runway, which is currently in use as a road, the former grass runway can be found. The helispot is the only operational part of the airfield and is located to the south east side.
Background
The Lapraka Airfield is a small airfield on the western outskirts of TiranaTirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
. It was originally built in 1939 by the Italians. It was home to the first units of the Albanian Air Force
Albanian Air Force
The Albanian Air Force is the national Air Force of the Albanian military. Currently it operates under the Albanian Joint Forces Command and it is regrouped in the Albanian Air Brigade...
in 1951, and most recently the home base to 4050 Regt. It was later made a reserve air base with no permanently based units. By May 2006 the airfield had become completely surrounded by the city of Tirane, and the air force had moved out in 2005. The main runway is now a road, so the only active users are Ministry of the Interior
Ministry of Interior Affairs (Albania)
The Ministry of Interior Affairs is part of the Albanian government responsible for Interior Affairs. The current minister is Bujar Nishani of the Democratic Party of Albania....
and Ministry of Health
Ministry of Health (Albania)
The Ministry of Health is part of the Albanian government responsible for Health care in Albania. The current minister is Petrit Vasili of the Socialist Movement for Integration....
helicopters.