Vavuniya Airport

Vavuniya Airport

வவுனியா விமான நிலையம்
වවුනියාව ගුවන්තොටුපළ
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; 80.4980000
Map
	VCCV Location in greater Vavuniya
Runways

Vavuniya Airport (Tamil: வவுனியா விமான நிலையம், romanized: Vavuṉiyā Vimāṉa Nilaiyam; Sinhala: වවුනියාව ගුවන්තොටුපළ, romanized: Vavuniyāva Guvantoṭupaḷa) (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

Airlines	Destinations
FitsAir	Charter: Colombo–Ratmalana
Helitours	Charter: Colombo–Ratmalana
SriLankan Airlines operated by Cinnamon Air	Charter: Colombo–Bandaranaike

Lodger squadrons

No. 111 Air Surveillance Squadron
No. 02 Air Defence Radar Squadron

References

^ "VCCV VAVUNIYA". Aeronautical Information Services of Sri Lanka, Airport & Aviation Services.
^ "VCCV - Airport". Great Circle Mapper.
^ a b "Sri Lanka Air Force Base Vavuniya". Sri Lanka Air Force. Archived from the original on 3 March 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
^ "RAF Stations - V". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation.
^ Fernando, Hemasiri (19 May 2005). "Plight of civil aviation in Sri Lanka". The Island (Sri Lanka).
^ "SLAF - highly professional outfit: Rendering indispensable, humanitarian service". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 3 March 2011.
^ Athas, Iqbal (14 September 2008). "Vavuniya attack: How it happened and why". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).

External links

Sri Lanka Air Force Vavuniya

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[1] "VCCV VAVUNIYA". Aeronautical Information Services of Sri Lanka, Airport & Aviation Services.

[2] "VCCV - Airport". Great Circle Mapper.

[SLAF-3] "Sri Lanka Air Force Base Vavuniya". Sri Lanka Air Force. Archived from the original on 3 March 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2009.

[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).