Sokol Airport
Encyclopedia
Sokol Airport is an airport in Sokol
in Magadan Oblast
, Russia
. The airport is located 70 km (43 mi) north of the Magadan
city center. The airport is sometimes confused with Dolinsk-Sokol
air base, which was home to the fighters that shot down Korean Air Flight 007
.
In 1991, the town gained exposure to the Western world with the inauguration of Alaska Airlines
flights to the United States using McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jets. According to an anecdotal story published in the New York Times, the first Alaska Airlines flight needed deicing services, which were unavailable, so the flight crew acquired a quantity of vodka and sprayed it onto the wings. In 1995 the airline threatened to discontinue Russian service due to difficulties with contract workers. Alaska Airlines flights into Magadan and elsewhere in Russia were halted in October 1998 shortly after the 1998 Russian financial crisis, which rendered the routes unprofitable.
Aeroflot
suspended flights to Sokol airport on February 1, 2009, due to the planned removal from service of the Tu-154 aircraft. Aeroflot cited the lack of certification of the airport in the acceptance and servicing of more modern aircraft, such as the Airbus A320
and Airbus A330
, as the primary reason for the suspension of flights. It resumed service on March 30, 2009.
Sokol, Magadan Oblast
Sokol is an urban-type settlement in Magadan Oblast, Russia, located 49 km north of Magadan. It is the site of the Magadan Airport. Population 5,199 .-History:...
in Magadan Oblast
Magadan Oblast
Magadan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia in the Far Eastern Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Magadan....
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The airport is located 70 km (43 mi) north of the Magadan
Magadan
Magadan is a port town on the Sea of Okhotsk and gateway to the Kolyma region. It is the administrative center of Magadan Oblast , in the Russian Far East. Founded in 1929 on the site of an earlier settlement from the 1920s, it was granted the status of town in 1939...
city center. The airport is sometimes confused with Dolinsk-Sokol
Dolinsk-Sokol
Dolinsk-Sokol is a military air base in Sakhalin Oblast, Russia located 8 km south of Dolinsk. It is a small base with no hardened areas. It existed before June 1966 according to declassified KH-7 satellite images...
air base, which was home to the fighters that shot down Korean Air Flight 007
Korean Air Flight 007
Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was a Korean Air Lines civilian airliner that was shot down by Soviet interceptors on 1 September 1983, over the Sea of Japan, near Moneron Island just west of Sakhalin island...
.
In 1991, the town gained exposure to the Western world with the inauguration of Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is an airline based in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac, Washington in the United States. The airline originated in 1932 as McGee Airways. After many mergers with and acquisitions of other airlines, including Star Air Service, it became known as Alaska Airlines in 1944...
flights to the United States using McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jets. According to an anecdotal story published in the New York Times, the first Alaska Airlines flight needed deicing services, which were unavailable, so the flight crew acquired a quantity of vodka and sprayed it onto the wings. In 1995 the airline threatened to discontinue Russian service due to difficulties with contract workers. Alaska Airlines flights into Magadan and elsewhere in Russia were halted in October 1998 shortly after the 1998 Russian financial crisis, which rendered the routes unprofitable.
Aeroflot
Aeroflot
OJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation, based on passengers carried per year...
suspended flights to Sokol airport on February 1, 2009, due to the planned removal from service of the Tu-154 aircraft. Aeroflot cited the lack of certification of the airport in the acceptance and servicing of more modern aircraft, such as the Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
and Airbus A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
, as the primary reason for the suspension of flights. It resumed service on March 30, 2009.