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Bandaranaike International Airport

Bandaranaike International Airport
බණ්ඩාරනායක ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ
பண்டாரநாயக்க பன்னாட்டு விமான நிலையம்
Logo of the Bandaranaike International Airport
22 boeing 772 app cmb.jpg
Summary
Airport type Public / Military
Owner GoSL
Operator AASL
Serves Colombo
Location Katunayake, Negombo, Sri Lanka
Hub for
Time zone SLST (UTC+05:30)
Elevation AMSL 26 ft / 8 m
Coordinates 07°10′52″N 79°53′01″E / 7.18111°N 79.88361°E / 7.18111; 79.88361Coordinates: 07°10′52″N 79°53′01″E / 7.18111°N 79.88361°E / 7.18111; 79.88361
Website www.airport.lk
Map
CMB/VCBI is located in Sri Lanka
CMB/VCBI
CMB/VCBI
Location of airport in Sri Lanka
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
04/22 10,991 3,350 Asphalt
04L/22R(Planned) 13,125 4,000 Asphalt
04R/22L(Planned) 13,125 4,000 Asphalt
Statistics (2016)
Passenger Movements Increase 9,252,218
Air Freight Movements (MT) Increase 254,269
Aircraft Movements Increase 65,608
Passenger Movements Increase 9,252,218
Air Freight Movements (MT) Increase 254,269
Aircraft Movements Increase 65,608
SLAF Katunayake
Katunayake, Western Province
Type Cantonment
Site information
Controlled by Sri Lanka Air Force
Site history
Built 1944
In use 1956 – present

Bandaranaike International Airport (also known as Colombo International Airport and Katunayake International Airport) (IATA: CMBICAO: VCBI) is the main international airport serving Sri Lanka. It is named after former Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike and is located in a suburb of Negombo, 22 miles (35 km) north of the capital Colombo. It is administered by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd and serves as the hub of SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka, and Cinnamon Air, the domestic carrier.

The airport began as a Royal Air Force airfield in 1944 during the Second World War, RAF Station Negombo. In 1957, Prime minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike removed all the British Military airfields from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and the airfield was handed over to the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) and renamed Katunayake; part of it still remains a military airfield. 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. It was named after former Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike, in 1970. It was renamed Katunayake International Airport in 1977, but was changed back to Bandaranaike International Airport in 1995.


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