Airport Celebrates 50 Years of Service

Exactly 50 years ago today, on 16 October 1959, the landing of TU-104A OK-LDA operated by the Czechoslovak Airlines marked the official launch of air operations at Ostrava Mošnov airport. The airport’s rich history, however, extends even further back. The first aviation experiments were carried out by the Žurovec brothers, the region’s aviation pioneers, as early as 1909. In the course of World War II, the airport was used both by the German Lufftwaffe and Russians and later served civilian flights as well as military operations conducted by the Czechoslovak Army. After the departure of the allied armies from Czechoslovakia in 1993, activities in the military part of the airport were discontinued and the airport has served civilian purposes only.

Throughout its existence, the airport has had a number of owners – the civilian part of the airport was administered by the State Aviation Administration and later by the Airport Administration. In 1978, the administration of the airport was taken over by the Czechoslovak Airlines. The civilian operations were transferred to the Czech Airport Authority, a state-owned enterprise, while the military operations were run by the army. The Czech Airport Authority operated the airport until 2004 when its ownership was transferred to the Moravian Silesian Region, with Letiště Ostrava, a.s. becoming the operator of the airport.

The 50th anniversary of the airport was commemorated as part of the NATO Days and the International Aircraft Industry Exhibition ‘Air-In’.