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Thessaloniki International Airport, "Macedonia" (Greek: Κρατικός Αερολιμένας Θεσσαλονίκης "Μακεδονία", Kratikós Aeroliménas "Makedonía") (IATA: SKG (SaloniKa Greece), ICAO: LGTS), formerly known as Mikra Airport (after the municipality of Mikra), is located about 15 km SE of the city centre of Thessaloniki at Mikra, close to the suburb of Peraia and the municipalities of Pylaia and Thermi. The airport is the largest state owned and operated airport in the country. It opened in 1930 and today it's the third busiest airport in Greece, serving almost 4 million passengers annually.

It is linked to the city centre by a 24-hour OASTH bus service (78 & 78A during the day and 78N during the night). A Thessaloniki Metro extension to the airport is currently under consideration. There is a master plan for a major expansion of the airport, including a new much bigger terminal building that could accommodate 9 million passengers per year. Currently the expansion of one runway into the sea is underway, in order for the airport to serve long haul flights. It has two runways (10-28 & 16-34) and two taxiways. There are 22 stands for wide bodied aircraft and about 20 for light ones.

Airlines and destinations

Incidents

• On 12 August 1977, Olympic Airways Flight 171 Boeing 727 :SX-CBI overran the runway and crashed into the sea after a flight from Athens. None of the 35 passengers and crew were killed but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
• On 17 December 1997, a Yakovlev Yak-42 of Aerosvit Airlines, operating the route from Odessa, Ukraine to Thessaloniki, lost contact with the airport's air traffic control and during the second attempt the aircraft crashed in the Pierian mountains, near Mount Olympus. A total of 70 people, passengers and crew, 41 of which were Greeks, were killed.

• On 4 July 2000, HA-LCR, a chartered MALÉV Flight 260 Tu-154 landed on its belly. The crew had forgotten to lower the undercarriage and the plane skidded 400 metres (440 yards) on the runway. Thanks to the plane's robust construction and the engines' high position, the plane was able to become airborne again as the pilots applied full throttle. It circled while the crew lowered the undercarriage and landed safely. There were no injuries. It was considered uneconomical to repair the aircraft. The aircraft still remains onsite (August 2008) although airline markings have been obscured and heavily depleted of re-usable spares.

• On 22 January 2010, a SunExpress plane flying from Germany to Turkey carrying 69 passengers made a safe emergency landing in "Macedonia". According to a Greek civil aviation official who declined to be named, the pilot had received a bomb threat call on his mobile phone.

References

1. "Airfield Data". Hellenic Civilian Aviation Authority. www.hcaa-eleng.gr. 2005-04-21. Retrieved 2007-08-04.
2. "Statistical data of Thessaloniki airport " Makedonia " for the period 1990-2007". Hellenic Civilian Aviation Authority. www.hcaa.gr. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
3. Greek Airport Guide
4. http://www.businesstraveller.com/asia-pacific/news/turkish-airlines-announces-11-new-routes-this-
5. http://www.airpics.net/photo/RA-85833-Tupolev-Tu-154M-Ural-Air lines/12013/L

External links

• Hellenic civil aviation authority: Thessaloniki Airport, "Makedonia"
• Air Traffic Safety Electronic Engineers Association - Greek Airports: Thessaloniki International Airport, "Macedonia"
• Thessaloniki Airport unofficial page: Thessaloniki Airport unofficial site
• Accident history for SKG at Aviation Safety Network
• Airport information for LGTS at Great Circle Mapper.
• Current weather for LGTS at NOAA/NWS
• Template:WAD

• Airports in Greece
• 1930 establishments