Bastia – Poretta Airport^{[lower-alpha 1]} (IATA: BIA, ICAO: LFKB) is an airport serving Bastia on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica. It is located 17 km (11 mi) south-southeast of Bastia at Lucciana,^[1] both of which are communes of the Upper Corsica department.

Quick Facts Bastia – Poretta Airport Aéroport de Bastia PorettaAeroportu di Bastia Poreta, Summary ...

Bastia – Poretta Airport Aéroport de Bastia Poretta Aeroportu di Bastia Poreta
IATA: BIA ICAO: LFKB
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	CCI of Bastia and Upper Corsica
Serves	Bastia
Location	Lucciana, Corsica, France
Elevation AMSL	26 ft / 8 m
Coordinates	42°33′00″N 009°29′05″E
Website	bastia.aeroport.fr
Map
LFKB Location of the airport in Corsica Show map of Corsica LFKB LFKB (France) Show map of France
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 16/34 2,520 8,268 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Passengers 1,489,038 Passenger traffic change 24.1%
Source: French AIP,[1] Aeroport.fr[2]

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In 1944, during World War II, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces Twelfth Air Force. On 31 July 1944, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the legendary French pilot, took off from this airport and disappeared, on a reconnaissance flight over France in a Lockheed P-38 Lightning.

USAAF combat units assigned:^{[clarification needed]}

• 414th Night Fighter Squadron, (Twelfth Air Force), 5 February–July 1944; 5 September – 13 October 1944, Bristol Beaufighter
• 527th Fighter Squadron, 86th Fighter Group, (Twelfth Air Force), 12 July-23 September 1944, P-47 Thunderbolt
• 416th Night Fighter Squadron, (Twelfth Air Force), 14–23 August 1944, P-61 Black Widow
• 417th Night Fighter Squadron, (Twelfth Air Force), February–April 1944; 25 April – 7 September 1944, Bristol Beaufighter^[3]
• 5th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, (3d Reconnaissance Group), 11 July – 24 September 1944, P-38/F-5 Lightning
• 23rd Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, (3d Reconnaissance Group), 11 July – 24 September 1944, P-38/F-5 Lightning
• 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, (XII Tactical Air Command), 21 July – 27 August 1944, P-51/F-6 Mustang
• 42nd Bombardment Wing was headquartered at the airfield, 21 September – 24 November 1944.

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Bastia – Poretta airport: