Lakatamia

35°06'23"N 033°19'16"E

Runway: 17/35 - 1400meters/0000feet - Asphalt (CLOSED)
Runway: 11/29 - 1200meters/0000feet - Asphalt (CLOSED)

Air field Lakatamia (Lakatamia AFB, also known as Διοικηση Αεροποριας (Dioikisi Aeroporias), ICAO: LCRO) is an airfield south of Nicosia in Cyprus.
The airfield was built by the British, although I am not sure when exactly. It was in use by elements of 451Sqn RAAF as early as 1941 however. When it was still in use with the British Army Air Corps the airfield had two runways. Upon Cyprus independence the British withdrew to the Sovereign Base Areas and handed over control to Cyprus.

Under Cyprus control the airfield was more or less abandoned, as the Cypriot armed forces operated from Nicosia. The invasion of Cyprus by Turkey changed that. Because the Cyprus defense forces could no longer use Nicosia they reactivated Lakatamia. It mainly served as a helicopter airfield, but still capable of receiving (small) fixed wing aircraft until spring of 2013. Then at some point after April 2013, the remaining runway was almost completely dug up and removed. Only about a quarter remained by October that year and July 2014 photography proved that portion still existed.


airport in 2002 (Google Earth)


Aerospatiale SA-342L1 Gazelle '352' of the Cyprus Air Force during the annual open day at Lakatamia Airbase on 8 November 2006 (Savvas Petoussis)




Construction was occurring on the northeast side and on the west side of the airport in 2009 (Google Earth)


Overview of what remained of the airfield in July 2014 (Google Earth)