2009-07-05 

The cooperation by the Italian Air Force for G8 in L'Aquila. The new airport

Rome, Italy - From the modification activity for the airport to the operating helps for security of the great event

(WAPA) - The official inauguration of the 'Aeroporto dei parchi' in Preturo (L'Aquila) has taken place last July 2nd and now is ready to receive the foreign delegations at G8. The airport has been entitled to 'Giuliana Tamburro', an electronic engineer dead in the earthquake of last April 6 (three months ago today).

The works have involved not only the potentiation of the airport, but also the infrastructures and road network in support of the air station.

Pic: Predator

A parking area and air means (16,000 sm) have been increased inside the facility, and the taxiing runway from 7 to 16 m. Technologies for instrumental landing and a new control tower have been installed, and a new lighting of the runway. Thanks to these works, in the future airplanes of medium dimensions like Falcon, C-27J, Canadair (against fires) and ATR-42 (until 40 passengers) could land in this airport.

The Italian Air Force is currently present in L'Aquila inside the JATG Falco (Joint Air Task Group) with a team composed of 218 people, among pilots, experts, air traffic controllers, doctors, meteorologists, for firefighting and support staff, all employed to ensure the full operativeness of the basic airport services, for take off and landing, with particular attention during G8.

The Italian Air Force will be involved to the event's security with a surveillance system for air space on L'Aquila, like as happened in other and particular events (G8 in Genoa, NATO-Russia Summit in Pratica di Mare, Pope John Paul II's funerals, and the new Pope's installation of Benedict XVI).

For this purpose will be used Eurofighter and F-16 aircraft, HH-3F helicopter and MB-339CD airplanes in SMI version; besides also a 'Predator'.

Until early morning of April 6, Preturo has been submitted at a particular flight activity by helicopters and military airplanes for the transport in the local hospital of 150 patients from 'San Salvatore's hospital in L'Aquila.

The Italian Air Force has ensured the continuity of the air traffic control until July 1st.

To date about 180 sanitary transports, by HH-3F helicopters and C-27J, of Italian Army, Navy, Carabinieri, Financial Police and Forest State Corps have been accomplished.

Not less important the effort carried out for the realization of a camp for about 400 people, with equipments.