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Lod Israeli Air Force Base Air Force Base 27 | |||||||||||
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Lod, Central District in Israel | |||||||||||
Coordinates | 32°00′41″N 034°53′18″E / 32.01139°N 34.88833°E | ||||||||||
Type | Airbase | ||||||||||
Site information | |||||||||||
Owner | Israel Defense Forces | ||||||||||
Operator | Israeli Air Force | ||||||||||
Site history | |||||||||||
Built | 1934 | ||||||||||
In use | 1938-48 RAF Use 1948 - 2008 | ||||||||||
Airfield information | |||||||||||
Identifiers | IATA: TLV, ICAO: LLBG | ||||||||||
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Lod Air Force Base, also Air Force Base 27, was an Israeli Air Force airfield that was part of the Ben Gurion International Airport, located approximately 7 km (4 mi) north of Lod; 8 km (5 mi) east-southeast of Tel Aviv.
From 1938 to 1948 it was known as RAF Station Lydda while under British Royal Air Force control.[1]
The Lydda Airport, built in 1934,[2] was used by the Allies during the Second World War becoming RAF Lydda on 1 March 1943. After the Israeli declaration of independence, it became an IAF airfield and the only international airport in the new state of Israel. The airfield military base officially closed down on 2 August 2008, after its last units moved to Nevatim. On the same airfield the Ben Gurion International Airport is still operating as the main airport of Israel.
Between July and November, 1942, the US Army, Middle East Air Force - USAMEAF operated Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator aircraft from RAF Lydda. These aircraft were reassigned to Egypt in November.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency