Donetsk International Airport

Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev International Airport Міжнародний аеропорт "Донецьк"
The ruins of the airport in December 2014 during the War in Donbass.
IATA: DOK – ICAO: UKCC
Summary
Airport type	Public
Serves	Donetsk, Ukraine
Elevation AMSL	238 m / 781 ft
Coordinates	48°04′30″N 037°43′32″E / 48.07500°N 37.72556°E / 48.07500; 37.72556Coordinates: 48°04′30″N 037°43′32″E / 48.07500°N 37.72556°E / 48.07500; 37.72556
Website	airport.dn.ua
Map
UKCC Location in Ukraine
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 08/26 4,000 13,123 Concrete
Statistics (2014)
Passengers 346,700
Source: Ukrainian AIP at EUROCONTROL[1]

Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev International Airport (Ukrainian: Міжнародний аеропорт "Донецьк") (IATA: DOK, ICAO: UKCC) is a nonoperational airport located 10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Donetsk, Ukraine, that was destroyed in 2014 during the War in Donbass.^[2][3] It was built in the 1940s and 1950s and rebuilt in 1973 and again from 2011 to 2012. The airport is named for 20th-century composer Sergei Prokofiev, who was a native of Donetsk Oblast.

History

Development since the 1990s

The main terminal prior to the War in Donbass

In the 1990s, Donetsk Airport experienced a number of criminal incidents. On November 3, 1996, a group of assassins opened indiscriminate fire at the plane of prominent local businessman Yevhen Shcherban as passengers disembarked on the apron. Shcherban and his wife were killed, together with an airport ground technician and the plane's flight engineer.^[4]

In accordance with the program of Donetsk for Euro 2012 in 2011, the Ukrainian construction company "Altcom" constructed a new airport terminal, which had been developed by experts from Croatia. The airline Donbassaero had its head office located at the airport,^[5] but ceased operations in January 2013.^[6]

2014–15 conflict

On 26 May 2014, pro-Russian rebels seized the airport soon after Petro Poroshenko won the 2014 Ukrainian presidential election. In response, Ukrainian forces launched air attacks to regain control of it from the rebels.^[7] Two civilians and 38 combatants were reported dead, and the Ukrainian military regained control of the airport.^[8] Service at the airport has not resumed since the battle.^[9]

On 1 October 2014, pro-Russian rebels attempted to retake the airport. A spokesman for what the Ukrainian government calls its anti-terrorist operation said Ukrainian forces repelled four attacks on the airport that evening. A T-64 tank was destroyed and seven rebels were killed, Vladyslav Seleznyov told Kanal 5 TV. A reporter for Associated Press in Donetsk said on October 1 that there were indications the government may already have lost control of the airport. Rebel-leader Alexander Zakharchenko said it was "95%" under separatist control. Ukrainian officials insisted the airport was still under government control as of October 2014.^[10]

It was reported on 17 January 2015 that rebel forces claimed to have taken complete control of the airport, after a series of battles with pro-government forces over the complex.^[11] One day later it was reported that government forces claimed to have retaken almost all parts of the airport lost to rebels in recent weeks, after a mass operation during the night.^[12] On 21 January, Ukrainian forces admitted losing control of the airport to the Donetsk People's Republic rebels.^[13]

Over the course of battles for the airport, the airport complex suffered extensive damage from constant bombardments and change of hand between pro-government and rebel forces. The main terminal buildings, with their sturdy concrete construction, served as garrisons and shelters for soldiers defending the airport grounds, and as a result the buildings would be subjected to attacks and suffer extensive structural failures, most notably with the collapse of the massive roof over the new terminal building's mezzanine. Similarly, the control tower was contested by opposing forces due to its strategic lookout point, but eventually collapsed in January 2015 during the final leg of the Second Battle of Donetsk Airport.^[14][15][16]

Since the fighting, the ruins of the airport have been cleared of rubble, leaving behind the concrete shells of the new terminal building and adjoining parking garage.

Airlines and destinations

All civilian airline operations including Lufthansa, Air Berlin, Aeroflot and flydubai were suspended due to armed conflict in May 2014, and the airport's facilities were subsequently completely destroyed.^[15]

Statistics

Donbassaero Airbus A320-200 at Donetsk International Airport

A Donetsk Airport Employee pin.

Year[17]	Passengers	Change on previous year
2009	488,100
2010	612,200	25.4%
2011	829,300	35.5%
2012	1,000,000	20.6%
2013	1,110,400	11%
2014	346,700 (closed due to the War in Donbass)	68.8%
2015	0	100.0%

Accidents and incidents

• On 13 February 2013 South Airlines Flight 8971 crashed when the plane overshot the runway as it attempted an emergency landing, resulting in 5 fatalities.^{[18][19][20][21]}

See also

• List of airports in Ukraine
• List of the busiest airports in Ukraine

References

External links

Media related to Donetsk International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• Accident history for DOK at Aviation Safety Network