The Colonel-pilot Milenko Pavlović Air Base (Serbian: Војни аеродром пуковник-пилот Миленко Павловић, romanized: Vojni aerodrom pukovnik-pilot Milenko Pavlović), commonly known as Batajnica Air Base (Serbian: Војни аеродром Батајница, romanized: Vojni aerodrom Batajnica) (IATA: BJY, ICAO: LYBT) is the main military air base of Serbia. It is located between Batajnica and Nova Pazova, about 25 km northwest from the center of Belgrade, Serbia.

Quick Facts Colonel-pilot Milenko Pavlović Air Base Вoјни аеродром пуковник-пилот Миленко Павловић, Summary ...

Colonel-pilot Milenko Pavlović Air Base Вoјни аеродром пуковник-пилот Миленко Павловић
Control tower of the air base
IATA: BJY ICAO: LYBT
Summary
Airport type	Military air base
Operator	Serbian Air Force and Air Defence
Serves	Belgrade
Location	Belgrade,  Serbia
Built	1947
In use	1951 - present
Elevation AMSL	281 ft / 86 m
Coordinates	44°56′07″N 020°15′27″E
Map
Colonel-pilot Milenko Pavlović Air Base
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 11/29 3,609 1,100 Grass 12R/30L 7,999 2,438 Asphalt 12L/30R 8,209 2,502 Asphalt

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Construction of the airbase started in 1947 and was completed in 1951, when the airbase was officially opened with one grass and two asphalted runways. The purpose of the airbase is to protect the capital Belgrade from aircraft attacks. It was known as 177th Air Base until the 2006 reorganization and was home of 204th Fighter-Aviation regiment, 138th Transport-Aviation Regiment and other units of Yugoslav Air Force.

During the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia the airbase was heavily bombed for 25 days and sustained heavy damage.

In 2019, Batajnica Air Base officially changed its name to Colonel-pilot Milenko Pavlović Air Base, in honor of Milenko Pavlović, a pilot killed during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.^[1]

The base is the home station of the following Serbian Air Force and Air Defence units:

• 204th Air Brigade

101st Fighter Squadron "Knights"

138th Transport Squadron "Storks"

252nd Training Squadron "Ušće Wolves"

890th Mixed Helicopter Squadron "Pegasuses"

177th Air Force Air Defence Artillery Battalion

24th Air Technical Battalion

17th Air Base Security Battalion

• Aeronautical Overhaul Institute "Moma Stanojlović"

The air base also houses Air Force and Air Defence Training Center of the Training Command as well as the Center for Flight Tests of the Technical Testing Center.