Airport type Military/Public Location Vavuniya, Sri Lanka Elevation AMSL 91 m / 299 ft Owner Government of Sri Lanka | Operator Sri Lanka Air Force Commander P. D. K. T. Jyasinghe Year built 1942 | |
 | ||
In use 1942 - 1946,
1978 - present | ||
Vavuniya Airport (Tamil: வவுனியா விமான நிலையம், Sinhalese: වවුනියාව ගුවන්තොටුපළ) (ICAO: VCCV) is an air force base and domestic airport in Vavuniya in northern Sri Lanka. Located approximately 1.4 km (0.87 mi) 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.
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History
During World War II the British Royal Air Force built an airfield in Vavuniya in northern Ceylon. 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. The airfield was also used by the Fleet Air Arm.
A Sri Lanka Air Force detachment moved onto the site on 1 August 1978. 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.