Vavuniya Airport
{{Infobox airport
| name = Vavuniya Airport
| nativename =
| nativename-a = {{lang|ta|வவுனியா விமான நிலையம்}}
{{lang|si|වවුනියාව ගුවන්තොටුපළ}}
| nativename-r =
| image = SLAF Vavuniya Crest.jpg
| image-width =
| caption = SLAF Vavuniya crest
| image2 =
| image2-width =
| caption2 =
| IATA =
| ICAO = VCCV
| LID =
| GPS =
| WMO =
| type = Military/Public
| owner-oper =
| owner = Government of Sri Lanka
| operator = Sri Lanka Air Force
| city-served =
| location = Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
| hub =
| focus_city =
| opened =
| closed =
| passenger_services_ceased =
| built = 1942
| used = 1942 - 1946,
1978 - present
| commander = P. D. K. T. Jyasinghe
| occupants =
| metric-elev = Yes
| elevation-f = 299
| elevation-m = 91
| website =
| coordinates = {{coord|08|44|28.30|N|80|29|52.80|E|region:LK-4|display=inline,title}}
| image_map =
| image_mapsize =
| image_map_alt =
| image_map_caption =
| pushpin_map = Sri Lanka Vavuniya Greater
| pushpin_mapsize =
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in greater Vavuniya
| pushpin_relief =
| pushpin_image = Location map of greater Vavuniya.png
| pushpin_label = VCCV
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_mark =
| pushpin_marksize =
| metric-rwy = Yes
| r1-number = 05/23
| r1-length-f = 5000
| r1-length-m = 1524
| r1-surface = Asphalt
| stat1-header =
| stat1-data =
| stat-year =
| footnotes =
}}
Vavuniya Airport ({{langx|ta|வவுனியா விமான நிலையம்|translit=Vavuṉiyā Vimāṉa Nilaiyam}}; {{langx|si|වවුනියාව ගුවන්තොටුපළ|translit=Vavuniyāva Guvantoṭupaḷa}}) {{Airport codes||VCCV}} is an air force base and domestic airport in Vavuniya in northern Sri Lanka.{{cite web|title=VCCV VAVUNIYA|url=http://www.airport.lk/AIS/45.htm|publisher=Aeronautical Information Services of Sri Lanka, Airport & Aviation Services}}{{cite web|title=VCCV - Airport|url=http://www.gcmap.com/airport/VCCV|publisher=Great Circle Mapper}} Located approximately {{Convert|1.4|km|miles|abbr=on}} 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.{{cite web|title=Sri Lanka Air Force Base Vavuniya|url=http://www.airforce.lk/est/vav/vav.htm|publisher=Sri Lanka Air Force|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080303082957/http://www.airforce.lk/est/vav/vav.htm|archivedate=3 March 2008|access-date=8 February 2009|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} 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.{{cite web|title=RAF Stations - V|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-V.htm|publisher=Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation}} The airfield was also used by the Fleet Air Arm.{{cite news|last=Fernando|first=Hemasiri|title=Plight of civil aviation in Sri Lanka|url=http://www.island.lk/2005/05/19/features1.html|newspaper=The Island (Sri Lanka)|date=19 May 2005}}
A Sri Lanka Air Force detachment moved onto the site on 1 August 1978.{{cite news|title=SLAF - highly professional outfit: Rendering indispensable, humanitarian service|url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2011/03/03/fea03.asp|newspaper=Daily News (Sri Lanka)|date=3 March 2011}} 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.{{cite news|last=Athas|first=Iqbal|title=Vavuniya attack: How it happened and why|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/080914/Columns/sitreport.html|newspaper=The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)|date=14 September 2008|authorlink=Iqbal Athas}}
Airlines and destinations
{{Airport-dest-list
| 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
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{URL|1=http://www.airforce.lk/pages.php?pages=vavuniya|2=Sri Lanka Air Force Vavuniya}}
{{Northern Province, Sri Lanka topics}}
{{Airports in Sri Lanka}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vavuniya Airport}}
Category:Airports in Sri Lanka
Category:Buildings and structures in Vavuniya
Category:Military installations in Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Category:Sri Lanka Air Force bases
Category:Transport buildings and structures in Vavuniya
Category:World War II sites in Sri Lanka
{{SriLanka-airport-stub}}