Iturup Airport Explained

Iturup Airport
Nativename-A:Аэропорт Итуруп
Iata:ITU[1]
Icao:UHSI[2]
Lid:ККУ
Pushpin Map:Russia Sakhalin Oblast#Japan
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of airport in Sakhalin Oblast
Pushpin Label:ITU
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Type:Public
Operator:Kuril Islands Airports
(Аэропорты Курильских островов)
City-Served:Kurilsk, Iturup Island
Elevation-F:387
Metric-Rwy:y
R1-Number:13/31
R1-Length-M:2300
R1-Surface:Concrete

Iturup Airport (Russian: Аэропорт Итуруп) is a public airport on Iturup Island, in the Kuril Archipelago, Russia. It is located 7km (04miles) northeast of the town of Kurilsk.[3]

History

The airport has been in commercial operation since 22 September 2014.[4] It has been built in a swampy taiga and is the first airport built from scratch in Russia's post-Soviet history.[4] In 2018, Iturup became a joint civil-military airport with the stationing there of a flight of Su-35S fighters from the 23rd Fighter Aviation Regiment, designated Yasny air base.[5]

Before Iturup Airport was built, Burevestnik Military Air Base, located 40 km southwest from the town center (or 60 km by road), had been the only airport serving Kurilsk. Now, it becomes a reserve airfield for Iturup. Because it is often closed due to fog, the new Iturup Airport improves air traffic punctuality.[4]

Facilities

The airport's only runway (marked 13/31) is 2300x and has a concrete surface,[3] equipped with an Instrument Landing System and glideslope which facilitate Instrument Flight Rules landings.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Airline and Airport Code Search. IATA. 20 November 2015.
  2. Web site: UHSI - Iturup Airport. Skyvector.com. 20 November 2015.
  3. Web site: AIP Russian Federation - UHSI KURILSK/Iturup. Federal State Unitary Enterprise Centre of Aeronautical Information. 11 December 2014. PDF. Russian, English. 20 November 2015.
  4. Web site: New airport on Kuril Iturup Island receives first flight. rbth.com. 22 September 2014. 20 November 2015.
  5. Web site: Истребители Су-35С заступили на боевое дежурство в аэропорту Ясный. Сахалин.Инфо . 2023-01-16 . sakhalin.info . ru.