Sigiriya Airport

Sigiriya Airport (IATA: GIU, ICAO: VCCS) is an air force base and domestic airport located in central Sri Lanka.^[1] Located near the city of Dambulla, the airport is also known as SLAF Sigiriya.^[2]

Sigiriya Airport
IATA: GIU ICAO: VCCS
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
Elevation AMSL	192 m / 630 ft
Coordinates	07°57′21.20″N 80°43′41.20″E
Map
GIU
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 04/22 1,768 5,801 Asphalt

History

Sigiriya Airport was first opened in 1942 as an airfield established by the Royal Air Force during World 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 the Sri Lanka Air Force by Lalith Athulathmudali, then Minister of National Security and Deputy Minister of Defence, on the invitation of Air Marshal Donald Perera, Commander of the Air Force.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Air Senok	Charter: Colombo–Ratmalana
Cinnamon Air	Colombo–Bandaranaike, Trincomalee
FitsAir	Charter: Colombo–Ratmalana
Helitours	Charter: Colombo–Ratmalana, Hambantota–Mattala

References

Citations

1. "VCCS - Sigiriya" (PDF). Aeronautical Information Services of Sri Lanka, Airport & Aviation Services. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
2. "VCCS - Airport". Great Circle Mapper. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
3. Jefford 1988, p. 26.
4. Jefford 1988, p. 64.
5. Jefford 1988, p. 67.
6. Jefford 1988, p. 68.
7. Jefford 1988, p. 88.
8. "RAF Sigiriya". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
9. "Sri Lanka Air Force Sigiriya". Sri Lanka Air Force. Retrieved 13 March 2014.

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.

External links

• Sri Lanka Air Force Sigiriya