Ratmalana Airport

Colombo Airport Ratmalana
කොළඹ ගුවන්තොටුපළ රත්මලාන
கொழும்பு விமான நிலையம் இரத்மலானை

Summary
Airport type Public / Military
Owner Government of Sri Lanka
Operator AASL[1]
Serves Colombo
Location Ratmalana, Sri Lanka
Hub for
Elevation AMSL 16 ft / 5 m
Coordinates 6°49′19.18″N 79°53′10.35″E / 6.8219944°N 79.8862083°E / 6.8219944; 79.8862083Coordinates: 6°49′19.18″N 79°53′10.35″E / 6.8219944°N 79.8862083°E / 6.8219944; 79.8862083
Website http://www.airport.lk/rma
Map
RML

Location of airport in Sri Lanka

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
04/22 6,014 1,833 Asphalt

Ratmalana Airport (IATA: RML, ICAO: VCCC), is the first International Airport in Sri Lanka. Colombo Airport Ratmalana was the only international airport in Sri Lanka until the inauguration of Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake in 1967. This is a Civil Airport which is operating as the domestic aviation hub and the aviation training hub in Sri Lanka. There are 11 domestic airlines based at Ratmalana with hangar facilities and operating scheduled and charter passenger operations. The aerodrome is also used to train all aviation students in Sri Lanka since 1960s.

From August 2012, Colombo Airport Ratmalana declared to handle international corporate jets to provide more efficient and exclusive passenger experience. Therefore, this airport is currently operate international corporate jets in addition to domestic civil flights and training flights. Though this airport started in the year 1935, at present it is having more pleasant appearance with modernised terminal building with exclusive lounges, all services including customs, immigration and emigration and more professional & friendly staff. Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited is the airport operator of this airport.

The airport is located 15 km south of the Colombo City. The strategic significance of Colombo airport, Ratmalana has been identified along with the emerging Colombo 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 the State Council of Ceylon made a decision to construct an aerodrome within reach of the capital city of Colombo and decided on Ratmalana as the best site.[6] On 27 November 1935 a De Havilland Puss Moth flown by Tyndalle Bisco, Chief flying instructor of the Madras Flying Club, was the first aircraft to land at the new airport.

Second World War

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) English Electric Canberra B.Mk.20 bomber, A84-202, taxiing to the runway at Colombo-Ratmalana Airport during a refuelling stop in the 1953 London to Christchurch air race

During the Second World War it was used as a Royal Air Force airfield, with No 30 Squadron flying Hawker Hurricanes from there against Japanese Navy aircraft. QEA flew civilianised Consolidated B-24 Liberator and Avro Lancastrian aeroplanes there from Perth, 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 the Cocos Islands.

Peak of civilian service

Ratmalana airport at one time had the country's main air terminal, with the Douglas DC-3 Dakota and Lockheed Constellation aeroplanes of Air Ceylon flying out of it. In 1947, KLM flew Douglas DC-4 Skymasters through the airport on the route from the Netherlands to the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)

In the 1950s, BOAC flew Canadair Argonauts (DC4 with Rolls Royce Merlin engines) 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 a Trans World Airlines (TWA) destination for a short time in the 1950s.[7]

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

In 2012, plans were drawn to relaunch Ratmalana as an international airport, to act as a secondary airport for the city.[6]

Ratmalana airport was declared open for small international commercial flights. The airport is available for commercial jet operations from August 2012.

Expansion and upgrade

The airport is only 20 km from the Colombo city centre compared to the larger Bandaranaike International Airport which is 32 km north of the city. The airport aims to attract private international flights and Low-cost airlines. Helitours, an airline operated by the Sri Lankan Airforce is based at the airport. There are a few industrial facilities such as the Bata shoe factory within a close proximity of the airport. The Government is developing the Ratmalana airport into an international city airport, which would provide services to private jets and small aircraft.[6] In addition facilities at the Ampara, Batticaloa, Jaffna, and Koggala airports will be also 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 of the Ratmalana airport. 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 be done as a short-term development project of the Ratmalana airport.

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

Current Facilities at the Airport

Bell 412EP at Ratmalana Airport

Terminals

There are currently 2 terminals at the airport.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger flights

AirlinesDestinations
Air SenokCharter: Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Hambantota-Mattala, Jaffna, Koggala, Sigiriya
FitsAirCharter: Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Hambantota-Mattala, Jaffna, Koggala, Sigiriya, Vavuniya
HelitoursHambantota-Mattala, Jaffna, Trincomalee
Charter: Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Koggala, Sigiriya, Vavuniya
Maldivian Malé [8]
Millennium AirlinesCharter: Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Koggala, Sigiriya, Trincomalee

Cargo flights

AirlinesDestinationsTerminal
FitsAirCoimbatore, Kochi, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur- International, Trincomalee, Hambantota-Mattala, Jaffna2

Lodger Squadrons

Accidents and incidents

1960s

1970s

1990s

2010s

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ratmalana Airport.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

  1. ↑ "Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited".
  2. ↑ "Daya Aviation".
  3. ↑ "IWS Aviation".
  4. ↑ "Lakwin Aviation".
  5. ↑ "Sakurai Aviation".
  6. 1 2 3 "Private jets to fly to R’lana A’port". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  7. ↑ "Colombo Service To Open With Flight 904 Feb. 5" (PDF). Skyliner. TWA. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  8. ↑ "Ratmalana to become third int’l airport". Dailynews. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  9. ↑ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Archived from the original on 2011-02-13. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  10. ↑ Air Ceylon 1978 bomb incident at the Aviation Safety Network
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