| Beja Air Base Air Base 11 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Base Aérea de Beja Base Aérea Nº 11 | |||||||||
| NearBeja,Alentejo in Portugal | |||||||||
 An aerial view of Beja Airport. | |||||||||
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| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | Military airfield | ||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of National Defence | ||||||||
| Operator | Portuguese Air Force | ||||||||
| Controlled by | Air Command | ||||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
  Beja Location in Portugal | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 38°04′44″N007°55′57″W / 38.07889°N 7.93250°W /38.07889; -7.93250 | ||||||||
| Area | 800 hectares (2,000 acres) | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1962 (1962)–1964 | ||||||||
| In use | 1964 – present | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: BYJ,ICAO: LPBJ,WMO: 085620 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 193.8 metres (636 ft)AMSL | ||||||||
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| Airfield shared withBeja Airport Source: PortugueseAIP[1] | |||||||||
Beja Air Base (Portuguese:Base Aérea de Beja;IATA:BYJ,ICAO:LPBJ), officially designated asAir Base No. 11 (Portuguese:Base Aérea Nº 11, BA11) is one of the most importantmilitary airbases inPortugal, 9 km (5.6 mi) northwest ofBeja,[1] 100 km (62 mi) north ofAlgarve. It is used by thePortuguese Air Force (PoAF) and has two parallel runways in the 01/19 direction, the biggest being 3,450 m × 60 m (11,320 ft × 200 ft).[1] The base is home to two training squadrons, one helicopter squadron and onemaritime patrol squadron.
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The base was established on 21 October 1964, originally built to serve as a training facility for theGerman Air Force (Luftwaffe), due to airspace limitations withinWest Germany.[2] The Luftwaffe operated from the airbase until 1993, during which period it was used particularly for weapons training.[3] In 1987 the Portuguese Air Force's103 Squadron usingLockheed T-33 andNorthrop T-38 aircraft was relocated fromMontijo. After their arrival, the base started to host a mixed array of fixed and rotary-wing trainers, as well as maritime patrol aircraft.[2]
Between 1993 and 2018, the PoAF has operatedDassault/Dornier Alpha Jet aircraft from the airbase, which were donated by Germany as compensation for leaving the air base in 1993.[3]
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The base is now modern and well-equipped, employing around 1,000 personnel.[2] It comprises two parallel runways running north–south (01L/19R, 01R/19L, the largest being 3,450 m (11,320 ft) in length and the other 2,951 m (9,682 ft) long. A third parallel runway/taxiway supports its helicopter facilities.[2] Beja Air Base is one of the most important training facilities of the PoAF and during 2008 operated over 70,000 flying hours.[4] The first training phase comprises flying onSocata TB 30 Epsilon aircraft, which currently has 15 operational aircraft.[5] The552 Squadron operates 5AgustaWestland AW119 Koala helicopters tasked with tactical transport for the army, helicopter pilot training andsearch and rescue. The601 Squadron currently uses 5P-3C Orion Cup + aircraft which provide 24/7 search and rescue andanti-submarine warfare cover.[6] The 506 Squadron equipped withKC390 aircraft is tasked with tactical air transport operations, air refueling and firefighting.
Construction of a civilian terminal was undertaken in 2009, with this facility being aimed atlow-cost carriers.[7]
Beja's runway is the only mainland Portugal runway capable of accommodating anAirbus A380. The Portuguesewet lease airlineHi Fly previously operated its A380, purchased second-hand in 2018, from Beja.[8]