Ratmalana Airport

Ratmalana International Airport

රත්මලාන ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ
இரத்மலானை சர்வதேச விமான நிலையம்
Ratmalana International Airport; රත්මලාන ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ; இரத்மலானை சர்வதேச விமான நிலையம்
	IATA:RML; ICAO:VCCC;
Summary
Airport type	Public / Military
Owner	Government of Sri Lanka
Operator	AASL
Serves	Colombo
Location	Ratmalana,Sri Lanka
Hubfor	Asian Aviation Centre (Sri Lanka); Simplifly; Daya Aviation; FitsAir; IWS Helicopters; Lakwin Aviation; Air Senok; Fly Southern (Pvt) Limited; Fairway Aviation Academy (Pvt) Limited; Sakurai Aviation; Helitours;
ElevationAMSL	16 ft / 5 m
Coordinates	6°49′19.18″N79°53′10.35″E/ 6.8219944°N 79.8862083°E
Website	Official website
Map
	RML Location of airport in Sri Lanka
Runways
Statistics (2016)
Passenger movements
Passenger movements	2,336,897
Aircraft movements	236,387
Cargo tonnage	1,256

Ratmalana International Airport(Sinhala:රත්මලාන ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ,romanized:Ratmalāna Jātyantara Guvantoṭupaḷa;Tamil:இரத்மலானை சர்வதேச விமான நிலையம்,romanized:Iratmalāṉai Sarvadesa Vimāṉa Nilaiyam) (officially known asColombo International Airport, Ratmalana^[6]and locally asRatmalana Airport) (IATA:RML,ICAO:VCCC), is the secondary international airport serving the city ofColombo,the capital of Sri Lanka. It was the country's firstinternational airportand was the only international airport in Sri Lanka until the inauguration ofBandaranaike International Airport,Katunayake,in 1967. The airport currently serves several domestic services and is home to several aviation training organisations. A relaxation of rules has recently seen the airport open for international corporate jet operations and charter flights. The airport is located 15 km south of Colombo City.

The strategic significance of Ratmalana International Airport has been identified along with the emergingColombo Financial City,High End Tourism and business travel needs of High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs). The long-term strategic goal of RMA is to bring the airport to the optimum operational capacity by maximum utilization of existing resources. Therefore, to achieve this goal, five strategic areas with specific strategies have been identified as Corporate Jet Operations, Domestic Aviation Hub, Aviation Training hub in the Region, FBO & MRO investments and Regional Airports Operations.

History

Launch

In 1934, theState Council of Ceylonmade a decision to construct an aerodrome within reach of the capital city of Colombo and decided onRatmalanaas the best site.^[7]On 27 November 1935, aDe Havilland Puss Mothflown by Captain Tyndale-Biscoe, chief flying instructor of theMadras Flying Club,was the first aircraft to land at the new airport.

Second World War

Royal Australian Air Force(RAAF)English Electric CanberraB.Mk.20 bomber, A84-202, taxiing to the runway at Colombo-Ratmalana Airport during a refuelling stop in the1953 London to Christchurch air race

During theSecond World War,it was used as aRoyal Air Forceairfield, withNo 30 SquadronflyingHawker Hurricanesfrom there againstJapanese Navyaircraft.QEA(Quantas Empire Airways Limited) flew civilianised ConsolidatedB-24 LiberatorandAvro Lancastrianaeroplanes there fromPerth, Western Australia,on what was at the time the world's longest non-stop air route. The flight continued after the war with an intermediate re-fuelling stop at theCocos Islands.

The following units were here at some point:

No. 22 Squadron RAF(1942 & 1944)^[8]
No. 30 Squadron RAF(1942)^[9]
No. 42 Squadron RAF(1942)^[10]
No. 81 Squadron RAF(1944-45)^[11]
No. 84 Squadron RAF(1943)^[12]
No. 89 Squadron RAF(1943 & 1944)^[13]
No. 136 Squadron RAF(1944)^[14]
No. 160 Squadron RAF(1943)^[15]
No. 176 Squadron RAF(1943-1945)^[16]
No. 203 Squadron RAF(1944-45)^[17]
No. 217 Squadron RAF(1944)^[18]
No. 232 Squadron RAF(1945)^[19]
No. 258 Squadron RAF(1942)^[20]
No. 261 Squadron RAF(1942)^[21]
No. 273 Squadron RAF(1939 & 1942-43 & 1943-44)^[22]
No. 292 Squadron RAF(1944)^[23]
No. 1303 Flight RAF(1943)^[24]

Peak of civilian service

Ratmalana airport at one time had the country's main air terminal, with theDouglas DC-3Dakota andLockheed Constellationaeroplanes ofAir Ceylonflying out of it. In 1947,KLMflewDouglas DC-4Skymasters through the airport on the route from theNetherlandsto theDutch East Indies(Indonesia)

In the 1950s, BOAC flewCanadair Argonauts(DC4 withRolls-Royce Merlinengines) from Ratmalana to London.

On 11 August 1952, 3 months after the inaugural service of a passenger jet aircraft, BOAC began its Comet service between Colombo and London. Later (March 1962 - March 1971) Air Ceylon operated a Comet service on this route to London. The airport was also aTrans World Airlines(TWA) destination for a short time in the 1950s.^[25]

Domestic-only era

In 1964, the government decided to build the new Bandaranaike International Airport north of the city, to replace Ratmalana. The new airport was completed in 1967 and Ratmalana handed over all international services to the new airport. Ratmalana was left with the relatively small market for domestic air travel in the country.

Return to international service

As of 27 March 2022, the airport resumed international travel after 55 years.

Expansion and upgrade

The airport is only 15 km south of theColombocity centre compared to the largerBandaranaike International Airportwhich is 32 km north of the city. The airport aims to attract private international flights and low-cost airlines.Helitours,an airline operated by theSri Lankan Airforceis based at the airport. There are a few industrial facilities such as theBatashoe factory in close proximity to the airport. The Government is developing the Ratmalana airport into an international city airport, which would provide services to private jets and small aircraft.^[7]In addition facilities at theAmpara,Batticaloa,Jaffna,andKoggalaAirports will also be upgraded. Repair to the runway and reconfiguration to the aerodrome for the use of corporate jet traffic would be done as a short-term development project. Improvements to the existing terminal building, repair to the runway, taxiway and apron, reconfiguration to the aerodrome for the use of corporate jet traffic would also be done as a short-term development project.

Under the medium-term of the Ratmalana airport development project:

Improvements to the existing terminal building
Control tower
Taxiway
Road network improvements
Navigational equipment installations
Constructing a terminal for civil movements and apron also implemented

Current facilities at the airport

Bell 412EP at Ratmalana Airport

Ground Handling
Immigration Service
Baggage and Passenger screening as perICAOStandards
Quarantine
Re-fueling
VIP Lounge
Aeronautical Information Services

Terminals

There are currently 2 terminals at the airport.

Terminal 1: International Corporate Jets & Domestic
Terminal 2: International Regional Operations

Airlines and destinations

Passenger flights

Airlines	Destinations
Air Senok	Charter:Anuradhapura,Batticaloa,Hambantota–Mattala,Jaffna,Koggala,Sigiriya,Trincomalee
FitsAir	Jaffna^[26] Charter:Anuradhapura,Batticaloa,Hambantota–Mattala,Koggala,Sigiriya,Trincomalee,Vavuniya
Helitours	Charter:Anuradhapura,Batticaloa,Koggala,Sigiriya,Vavuniya,Hambantota–Mattala,Jaffna,Trincomalee

Lodger Squadrons

No. 8 Light Transport Squadron

Accidents and incidents

1960s

On 15 November 1961,Vickers ViscountVT-DIH ofIndian Airlineswas damaged beyond economic repair when the co-pilot retracted the undercarriage during landing.^[27]

1970s

On 7 September 1978, an Air CeylonHawker Siddeley HS 748(registered 4R-ACJ) was destroyed in a fire while parked at Ratmalana Airport. Two pilots had been carrying out pre-departure checklists when a fire started as the result of the explosion of a bomb in the aircraft cargo hold.^[28]

1990s

29 September 1998 -Lionair Flight 602,operated by anAntonov An-24RV,was shot down by theLTTEafter departingJaffna Airportbound for Ratmalana Airport. All 55 passengers and crew members died, including the four memberUkrainiancockpit crew.

References

This article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom theAir Force Historical Research Agency

Citations

^"Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited".Archived fromthe originalon 21 November 2018.Retrieved13 March2017.
^"Daya Aviation".
^"IWS Aviation".
^"Lakwin Aviation".
^"Sakurai Aviation".Archived fromthe originalon 20 May 2017.Retrieved13 March2017.
^"Extraordinary Gazette No.2145/24"(PDF).Department of Government Printing.
^^a ^b"Private jets to fly to R'lana A'port".Daily Mirror. Archived fromthe originalon 12 January 2013.Retrieved27 September2011.
^Jefford 1988,p. 32.
^Jefford 1988,p. 35.
^Jefford 1988,p. 39.
^Jefford 1988,p. 49.
^Jefford 1988,p. 50.
^Jefford 1988,p. 51.
^Jefford 1988,p. 60.
^Jefford 1988,p. 64.
^Jefford 1988,p. 65.
^Jefford 1988,p. 68.
^Jefford 1988,p. 71.
^Jefford 1988,p. 75.
^Jefford 1988,p. 79.
^Jefford 1988,p. 80.
^Jefford 1988,p. 82.
^Jefford 1988,p. 84.
^Lake 1999,p. 84.
^"Colombo Service To Open With Flight 904 Feb. 5"(PDF).Skyliner.TWA.Retrieved19 January2013.
^"Colombo - Jaffna new flight service from tomorrow".ColomboPage.Retrieved31 January2020.
^"Accident description".Aviation Safety Network.Archivedfrom the original on 25 October 2012.Retrieved2 October2009.
^Air Ceylon 1978 bomb incident at the Aviation Safety Network

Bibliography

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.ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
Lake, A (1999).Flying units of the RAF.Shrewsbury:Airlife.ISBN 1-84037-086-6.

External links

[stats-1] "Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited".Archived fromthe originalon 21 November 2018.Retrieved13 March2017.

[2] "Daya Aviation".

[3] "IWS Aviation".

[4] "Lakwin Aviation".

[5] "Sakurai Aviation".Archived fromthe originalon 20 May 2017.Retrieved13 March2017.

[6] "Extraordinary Gazette No.2145/24"(PDF).Department of Government Printing.

[Private_jets-7] "Private jets to fly to R'lana A'port".Daily Mirror. Archived fromthe originalon 12 January 2013.Retrieved27 September2011.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198832-8] Jefford 1988,p. 32.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198835-9] Jefford 1988,p. 35.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198839-10] Jefford 1988,p. 39.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198849-11] Jefford 1988,p. 49.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198850-12] Jefford 1988,p. 50.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198851-13] Jefford 1988,p. 51.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198860-14] Jefford 1988,p. 60.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198864-15] Jefford 1988,p. 64.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198865-16] Jefford 1988,p. 65.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198868-17] Jefford 1988,p. 68.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198871-18] Jefford 1988,p. 71.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198875-19] Jefford 1988,p. 75.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198879-20] Jefford 1988,p. 79.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198880-21] Jefford 1988,p. 80.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198882-22] Jefford 1988,p. 82.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198884-23] Jefford 1988,p. 84.

[FOOTNOTELake199984-24] Lake 1999,p. 84.

[Flight_904-25] "Colombo Service To Open With Flight 904 Feb. 5"(PDF).Skyliner.TWA.Retrieved19 January2013.

[26] "Colombo - Jaffna new flight service from tomorrow".ColomboPage.Retrieved31 January2020.

[ASN151161c-27] "Accident description".Aviation Safety Network.Archivedfrom the original on 25 October 2012.Retrieved2 October2009.

[28] Air Ceylon 1978 bomb incident at the Aviation Safety Network

[6]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]