Locarno Airport

Geschichte

Locarno Airport, mil ICAO code LSMO, is an airport located near the city of Locarno, Ticino, Switzerland. It is a mixed civilian and military airport. The airfield is used simultaneously by civilian aircraft and the Swiss Air Force from the "airfield command Locarno". Although they use the same runways, the Swiss Air Force has its own taxiways and parking and a large hangar. It is located in the community of Gordola, seven kilometers from the Locarno City center. The nearest stop to the Swiss Federal Railways is the 2 km distant station Riazzino of railway Giubiasco Locarno.HistoryThe civilian section of the airport was opened in the summer of 1939. The military section followed already the following winter. Since 1941 the Swiss Air Force use it most, because of good weather conditions, for basic flight training of military pilots. At the end of World War II, Swiss authorities identified existing locations that were to be modernized as regional airports, a second tier of infrastructure to support the primary urban airports, with Locarno-Magadino being one of the five.TodayThree runways and one terminal are present at the Airport. The airport is accessible by road by the Cantonale Street which connects to Route 13, which leads to a highway which bypasses the city and many interchanges help to get on and off the highway. The airport is bound by the scenic view of the Alps. The airport area itself includes companies such as the helicopter charter company "Eliticino", a partner of Heliswiss, Europe's largest skydive center "Para Centro", the flight school "Aero Locarno", the aircraft maintenance company "Aeromecchanica" and the Rega (air rescue) (Base No. Rega 6).