Bandaranaike International Airport

Bandaranaike International Airport (also known as Katunayake International Airport) (IATA: CMB, ICAO: VCBI) is Sri Lanka's only international airport. It is located in Katunayake, 35 km (22 mi) north of Colombo. It is administered by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd. It is the hub of SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka.

History

The airport began as a Royal Air Force base during the Second World War, RAF Negombo. In 1957, when Solomon Bandaranaike removed all the British Military Bases from Sri Lanka (Ceylon), the base was handed over to the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) and renamed Katunayake. Part of it still remains an Air Force base.

In 1964 Anil Moonesinghe, the Minister of Communications, started the building of a new international airport to replace Ratmalana, with Canadian aid. The airport was completed in 1967, and Air Ceylon, the national carrier, began international operations from it using a Hawker Siddeley Trident and a leased British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) VC-10. The airport was also a Trans World Airlines (TWA) hub for a short time.

It was named Bandaranayake International Airport (BIA), after Prime Minister Bandaranaike, in 1970. It was renamed Katunayake International Airport in 1977 but was changed back to Bandaranayake International Airport in 1995.

Expansion projects have been undertaken at Bandaranayake International Airport. A pier with eight aero-bridges opened in November 2005, the first of its kind in Sri Lanka.

On May 7, 2007 the Sri Lankan Government decided to shift some major military aviation out of the space adjoining the airport to SLAF Hingurakgoda, paving the way to more civilian operations.

The future

The airport is undergoing resurfacing of its runway. Future projects may include a second runway to support the Airbus A380, the largest commercial airliner in the world, a further eight passenger gates, a domestic terminal, a 5-storey car-park, and a five star hotel neighbouring the airport. New approach channels into the airport will be created.

SLAF Katunayake

In 1956 with the departure of the RAF from RAF Negombo, the Royal Ceylon Air Force took over and renamed the station RCyAF Katunayake. With the construction of the Bandaranaike International Airport, major portion of the air base was taken over. However the Sri Lanka Air Force remained and expanded its air base adjoining the International Airport. At present it is the largest SLAF station in the country and is the base for several flying squadrons as well as ground units. The Air Force Hospital is also based at SLAF Katunayake.

In March 2001, on the 50th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Air Force the base was presented with the President’s Colours.

Lodger Squadrons

• No. 4 (VIP) Helicopter Squadron
• No. 5 Jet Squadron
• No. 10 Fighter Squadron
• No. 12 Squadron
• No. 14 Squadron

Incidents at Bandaranaike International Airport

• May 3, 1986 - In an operation carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE or Tamil Tigers), a bomb in an Air Lanka (now SriLankan Airlines) Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 100 exploded while passengers where boarding for a short-hop flight to Malé, in the Maldives. 14 passengers were killed, and the aeroplane was written off.

• March 24, 2000 - An Antonov 12BK operated by cargo carrier Sky Cabs crashed due to lack of fuel. It crashed into two houses killing four people on the ground and six of the eight crew on board.

• July 24, 2001 - Bandaranaike Airport attack. 14 members of the LTTE Black Tiger terrorist suicide squad infiltrated Katunayake air base, destroying eight military aircraft on the tarmac. They then moved to the civilian airport, destroying two Airbus aircraft and damaging three others. Seven government personnel were killed.

• 4 February, 2004 - An Ilyushin 18D cargo plane operated by Phoenix Aviation and charted to Sri Lankan cargo company Expo Aviation was landing in Colombo on a flight from Dubai. However, the copilot set the altimeter incorrectly and the landing gear contacted the surface of the sea, 10.7 km (6.6 mi) short of the runway. A belly landing was performed 50 m (160 ft) to the right of the runway.

• September 8, 2005 - While a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 taxied for takeoff on an international flight from Colombo to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, air traffic controllers received an anonymous telephone call concerning a possible bomb on the aircraft. The crew was informed about this call and elected to perform an emergency evacuation. As a result of the evacuation, there were 62 injuries among the 420 passengers and 22 crew members. One of the passengers died as a result of injuries received during the evacuation, and 17 passengers were hospitalized. No explosive devices were found after a search of the aircraft.

• March 25, 2007 - At 0045 the Tamil Tigers bombed the Sri Lanka Air Force base adjoining the international airport. Three Air Force personnel were killed and 16 injured when light aircraft dropped two bombs, although no aircraft were damaged. Passengers already on aircraft were disembarked and led to a shelter, while others trying to reach the airport were turned away and approach roads closed. The airport was temporarily shut down following the incident, but normal flights resumed at 0330.

External links

• Air Sri Lanka
• Airport Authority homepage
• Airport Technical data

Source: (c) Wikipedia