Alykel International Airport
Alykel International Airport (Russian: Международный аэропорт Алыкель) (IATA: NSK, ICAO: UOOO) is a large international airport in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located 35 kilometres (22 mi) west of Norilsk. Alykel is the only functional airfield near Norilsk. It handles medium-sized aircraft and is serviced by 24-hour operations. Since it is capable of handling wide-body jets, it is a diversion airport on Polar route 1.[1][2] Since Norilsk does not have road or railroad connections to the rest of the country, the airport is the main gateway to the city.
Alykel Airport Аэропорт Алыкель | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Serves | Norilsk | ||||||||||
| Location | Norilsk, Russia | ||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 574 ft / 175 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 69°18′36″N 087°20′0″E | ||||||||||
| Website | www.aeroport-norilsk.ru | ||||||||||
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  NSK Location of airport in Krasnoyarsk Krai | |||||||||||
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It was constructed in 1964, when US reconnaissance satellites reported a new airfield with a 6,000 by 150 foot (1,829 m × 46 m) runway 16 nautical miles (30 km) west of Norilsk.[3] This allowed the use of Norilsk as a staging base for Soviet bombers to reach the United States. This role continues to this day, with caretaker status provided by the Russian Air Force's OGA (Arctic Control Group). Norilsk also was served by interceptor aircraft under the 57 IAP (57th Guards Red Banner Fighter Aviation Regiment PVO), which in 1991 had 24 Sukhoi Su-15TM aircraft.[4]
The airport received international status on 1 February 2023.[5]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Aeroflot | Krasnoyarsk–Yemelyanovo[6] |
| KrasAvia | Dikson, Khatanga, Novy Urengoy |
| NordStar | Abakan, Baku, Krasnoyarsk–Yemelyanovo, Moscow–Domodedovo, Novosibirsk, Saint Petersburg, Sochi, Ufa, Yekaterinburg[7] Seasonal: Novy Urengoy |
| S7 Airlines | Irkutsk, Moscow–Domodedovo, Novosibirsk |
| Utair | Seasonal: Krasnoyarsk–Yemelyanovo, Surgut |
Accidents and incidents
- On 16 November 1981, Aeroflot Flight 3603, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashed while attempting to land at Norilsk Airport. Ninety-nine of the 167 passengers and crew on board were killed in the accident.[8]
Rail link to airport
An electrified rail link Norilsk-Oktyabrskaya - Airport was operated from 1967-11-22 to 1998.[9]
References
- Boeing-conducted Airport safety and operational assessments
- New Cross-Polar Routes
- OAK-PART 1 MISSION 1009-1 6-9 AUGUST 1964 (TOP SECRET), CIA-RDP78B04560A002500010014-6, Central Intelligence Agency, August 1, 1964.
- "Aviatsiya PVO". Aviabaza KPOI.
- Норильский аэропорт получил статус международного
- Liu, Jim. "Aeroflot expands Krasnoyarsk market in S20". Routesonline. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- "Новый авиарейс свяжет Ростов-на-Дону с Екатеринбургом и Норильском". Rostov-on-Don Airport. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- Gero, David (1996). Aviation Disasters Second Edition. Patrick Stephens Limited. p. 167.
- НОРИЛЬСКАЯ ЖЕЛЕЗНАЯ ДОРОГА ИСТОРИЯ. infojd.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-08-07.
