Pruszcz Gdański Air Base (49 Baza Lotnicza / Flugplatz Praust)

Pruszcz Gdański Air Base, also known as the 49th Air Base (49 Baza Lotnicza), is a joint military and civil airfield located two kilometers southeast of the city center of Pruszcz Gdański, Poland.

The facility was established in 1939 by the German Luftwaffe as Flugplatz Praust. Between September 1940 and December 1944, it functioned as a practice field for pilot training schools based at Danzig-Langfuhr. In 1944, the site was expanded into an operational base and utilized by combat units until the end of World War II, including elements of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5, Schlachtgeschwader 9, and Nachtjagdgeschwader 100.

In October 1953, the Polish Air Force assigned the base to the 25th Fighter-Bomber Regiment, initially operating Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 aircraft, and later Polish-built Lim-2 and Lim-5 fighters. Following the regiment's disbandment in April 1968, the facility transitioned to a helicopter base under Polish Army Aviation. The 49th Helicopter Regiment arrived in February 1968 equipped with Mil Mi-2 helicopters. In 1981, the unit incorporated Mi-24D helicopters and was reorganized as the 49th Combat Helicopter Regiment. A structural reorganization at the turn of 2011 and 2012 established the current 49th Air Base.

The installation operates under the Polish Army Aviation and supports the 1st Army Aviation Brigade (1 Brygada Lotnictwa Wojsk Lądowych). It hosts three flying squadrons: the 1st Attack Helicopter Squadron (1. Eskadra Śmigłowców Szturmowych) operating Mi-24W helicopters; the 2nd Helicopter Squadron (2. Eskadra Śmigłowców) equipped with Mi-2URP light combat helicopters; and the 3rd Helicopter Squadron (3. Eskadra Śmigłowców) utilizing Mi-2NVG trainers. In 2025, the base received leased AH-64D Apache attack helicopters to replace the Mi-24 fleet.

The northern section of the airfield is designated for civil aviation and is utilized by the Gdańsk Aeroclub (Aeroklub Gdański).