Sigiriya Airport(IATA:GIU,ICAO:VCCS) is anair force baseanddomestic airportlocated in centralSri Lanka.[1]Located near the city ofDambulla,the airport is also known asSLAF Sigiriya.[2]
Sigiriya Airport | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military/Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Government of Sri Lanka | ||||||||||
| Operator | Sri Lanka Air Force | ||||||||||
| Serves | Dambulla | ||||||||||
| Location | Sigiriya,Central Province,Sri Lanka | ||||||||||
| Opened | 1942, 1985 | ||||||||||
| Closed | 1946 | ||||||||||
| In use | 1942 - 1946 1985 - Present | ||||||||||
| Commander | C. P. Gunatileke | ||||||||||
| ElevationAMSL | 192 m / 630 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 07°57′21.20″N80°43′41.20″E/ 7.9558889°N 80.7281111°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  GIU | |||||||||||
 | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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History
editSigiriya Airport was first opened in 1942 as an airfield established by theRoyal Air ForceduringWorld War II.A number of RAF squadrons (8(1945),[3]160(1943-44),[4]200(1944-45),[5]203(1944-45),[6]354(1944)[7]) and other units were stationed at the airfield during and immediately after the war.[8]With the end of the war, and subsequently no use for the airfield it was abandoned by the RAF in 1946.[9]
On 19 April 1985, the airfield was opened again for theSri Lanka Air ForcebyLalith Athulathmudali,thenMinister of National Securityand Deputy Minister of Defence, on the invitation of Air MarshalDonald Perera,Commander of the Air Force.
Airlines and destinations
edit| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Senok | Charter:Colombo–Ratmalana |
| Cinnamon Air | Colombo–Bandaranaike,Trincomalee |
| FitsAir | Charter:Colombo–Ratmalana |
| Helitours | Charter:Colombo–Ratmalana,Hambantota–Mattala |
References
editCitations
edit- ^"VCCS - Sigiriya"(PDF).Aeronautical Information Services of Sri Lanka, Airport & Aviation Services.Retrieved13 March2014.
- ^"VCCS - Airport".Great Circle Mapper.Retrieved13 March2014.
- ^Jefford 1988,p. 26.
- ^Jefford 1988,p. 64.
- ^Jefford 1988,p. 67.
- ^Jefford 1988,p. 68.
- ^Jefford 1988,p. 88.
- ^"RAF Sigiriya".Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation.Retrieved13 March2014.
- ^"Sri Lanka Air Force Sigiriya".Sri Lanka Air Force.Retrieved13 March2014.
Bibliography
edit- Jefford, C.G. (1988).RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912.Shrewsbury:Airlife.ISBN1-85310-053-6.
External links
edit
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