Vavuniya Airport

Vavuniya Airport
வவுனியா விமான நிலையம்
වවුනියාව ගුවන්තොටුපළ

SLAF Vavuniya crest
IATA: none – ICAO: VCCV
Summary
Airport type Military/Public
Owner Government of Sri Lanka
Operator Sri Lanka Air Force
Location Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
Built 1942
In use 1942 - 1946,
1978 - present
Commander P. D. K. T. Jyasinghe
Elevation AMSL 91 m / 299 ft
Coordinates 08°44′28.30″N 80°29′52.80″E / 8.7411944°N 80.4980000°E / 8.7411944; 80.4980000Coordinates: 08°44′28.30″N 80°29′52.80″E / 8.7411944°N 80.4980000°E / 8.7411944; 80.4980000
Map
VCCV
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
05/23 1,524 5,000 Asphalt

Vavuniya Airport (Tamil: வவுனியா விமான நிலையம், Sinhalese: වවුනියාව ගුවන්තොටුපළ) (ICAO: VCCV) is an air force base and domestic airport in Vavuniya in northern Sri Lanka.[1][2] Located approximately 1.4 km (0.87 mi) south of the centre of Vavuniya, the airport is also known as SLAF Vavuniya. Originally built by the Royal Air Force during World War II, it was taken over by the Sri Lanka Air Force in 1978.

History

During World War II the British Royal Air Force built an airfield in Vavuniya in northern Ceylon.[3] A number of RAF squadrons (17, 22, 47, 60, 89, 132, 176, 217) and other units were stationed at the airfield during and immediately after the war.[4] The airfield was also used by the Fleet Air Arm.[5]

A Sri Lanka Air Force detachment moved onto the site on 1 August 1978.[3][6] The airfield become one of the air force's air bases. The airport is part of a large military complex in Vavuniya that includes Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni.[7]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
FitsAir Charter: Colombo-Ratmalana
Helitours Colombo-Ratmalana
SriLankan Airlines
operated by Cinnamon Air 		Charter: Colombo-Bandaranaike

Lodger squadrons

References

  1. ↑ "VCCV VAVUNIYA". Aeronautical Information Services of Sri Lanka, Airport & Aviation Services.
  2. ↑ "VCCV - Airport". Great Circle Mapper.
  3. 1 2 "Sri Lanka Air Force Base Vavuniya". Sri Lanka Air Force. Archived from the original on 11 August 2007.
  4. ↑ "RAF Stations - V". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation.
  5. ↑ Fernando, Hemasiri (19 May 2005). "Plight of civil aviation in Sri Lanka". The Island (Sri Lanka).
  6. ↑ "SLAF - highly professional outfit: Rendering indispensable, humanitarian service". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 3 March 2011.
  7. ↑ Athas, Iqbal (14 September 2008). "Vavuniya attack: How it happened and why". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
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