Comiso airport

Aeroporto di Comiso ; “Pio La Torre”
Characteristics
ICAO code	LICB
IATA code	CIY
Coordinates	36 ° 59 '45 " N , 14 ° 36' 32" E Coordinates: 36 ° 59 '45 " N , 14 ° 36' 32" E
Height above MSL	230 m (755 ft )
Transport links
Distance from the city center	3 km north of Comiso, ; 5 km northeast of Vittoria
Street	SP5
Basic data
opening	2013
operator	Soaco SpA (owned by the Comiso City Council)
Terminals	1
Passengers	352,095 (2019)
Air freight	0 t (2019)
Flight ; movements	2,979 (2019)
Start-and runway
05/23	2538 m × 45 m asphalt

The Comiso Airport ( IATA code CIY , ICAO code LICB ) is a former military airfield at Comiso in the southeast of Sicily , about 95 kilometers southwest of Catania .

From 2004 the airport was converted into a civil airport. The opening, which has been postponed several times for various reasons, took place on May 30, 2013. The airport is used by general aviation and commercial airlines.

history

The Vincenzo Magliocco military airfield was built from 1937 to 1939 under the fascist government . During the Second World War it was used by the German Air Force , in particular for combat missions in the central Mediterranean region such as the Battle of Malta and for transport flights to North Africa. In July 1943, shortly before the Allies landed in Sicily ( Operation Husky ) , the airfield was destroyed by bombing and taken by US troops. The USA repaired the base and used it until 1945.

After World War II, Italy regained control and expanded the airfield. From 1965 to 1973 it served as the forward base of a naval reconnaissance squadron of the Italian Air Force . Between 1954 and 1972 the airport was also used commercially, in particular by the ATI airline .

From March 24, 1982, the US Air Force took over the airfield as Comiso Air Base . As part of the NATO double decision , 112 cruise missiles of the type BGM-109 Tomahawk with nuclear warheads were stationed there, which were subordinate to the 487th Tactical Missile Wing . After the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact , cruise missiles were withdrawn in 1991 and military use was reduced to a minimum. In 1999 refugees from Kosovo were accommodated at the base .

In 2002 it was decided to convert it into a commercial airport, which should contribute to the development of tourism in the region. The project was not without controversy as the international airport of Catania is only 90 kilometers away. On the other hand, because of the eruptions of the Etna volcano and the obstruction of air traffic by ash clouds, attention has been drawn to the role of the alternate airport that Comiso can take on for Catania. Work began in 2004 and was completed in winter 2008. The first inauguration took place on April 30, 2007 by the then Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema . Except for the aircraft that landed at the converted airport on this occasion, there was no air traffic for several years, among other things because air traffic control did not want to send air traffic controllers without financial guarantees . Due to insufficient use, parts of the infrastructure had to be renewed and the approval process carried out again. There were also delays because the government in Rome doubted the profitability of the airport project. Thanks to the efforts of the surrounding communities, the Autonomous Region of Sicily and the Monti government , air traffic in Comiso was finally able to start at the end of May 2013. On June 7, 2014, the airport was named after the Sicilian politician Pio La Torre, who was murdered by the Mafia in 1982 .

Location and infrastructure

The airport is located around five kilometers north of Comiso on the SP 5. In the north-west of the airport area are the passenger terminal and the apron area for commercial air traffic. To the southeast of runway 05/23, which is around 2500 meters long , there are still a number of military installations, including the bunkers for storing nuclear weapons.