Airplane lands on Ecka after eight years – Zrenjanin considering reconstruction of landing strips

The arrival of the Italian delegation by plane to the opening ceremony for the Tecnostrutture facility has once again initiated talk of great possibilities of the Zrenjanin airport, including civilian traffic. This was the first landing of this kind after eight years, reports the website of the City of Zrenjanin

– This is just another proof that our airport is a certified international airport, which allows for civilian landings from abroad – says Ivan Devic, who, as a deputy mayor, got to know the situation at the airport well, as well as intentions to turn it into an airport beneficial to the city in several ways.

– Currently, this is a C-category airport, which means that, in order to use it for civilian traffic, prior announcements to flight controls and acquiring necessary consent by the Civil Aviation Directorate of the Republic of Serbia are needed, but once those procedures are honored, any plane which meets the technical requirements for landing on a grass landing strip may lend here – Devic explains.

The Ecka Airport was raised by the German occupation army in 1942 and was used for delivering fuel from Romania and preparing several fighter planes for attacks on the territory of former Yugoslavia. Fearing Soviet invasion in 1968, the Yugoslav army damaged the airport and buried a section of the runway, leaving the airport ruined for three decades.

Beneath the high quality grass landing strip, 1,800 meters long and 50 meters wide, there are remains of the former concrete runway. Its reconstruction is now seriously being considered, as it would enable proper passenger aircraft to lend in Zrenjanin. – Our strategic plans include expanding the airport's functions and updating it, but this can only be done once an appropriate investor has been found, as the City of Zrenjanin is currently not capable of investing into the airport further – Devic concludes.

Grad Zrenjanin

Aerodrom Ečka Zrenjanin

Tecnostrutture Italia

Ivan Devic

air traffic in Zrenjanin