Civil enclave
Encyclopedia
A Civil Enclave is an area allotted at an airport
belonging to the armed forces
, for the usage of civil aircraft and civil aviation
related services.
Civil enclaves are common in countries like India
, Sri Lanka
, and Pakistan
where a part of an Air force
base, almost invariably a legacy of World War II
vintage, is allotted for domestic air traffic instead of building a new civilian airport. These airports usually have a curfew
(mostly after sunset) during which civil aircraft are not permitted to operate. Many reserve morning hours for military flight training
. Some civil enclaves adopt an altitude restriction, i.e. one below which a civilian aircraft cannot descend while over-flying the enclave. The curfew system may result in airport congestion while the altitude restriction can cause long detours and greater fuel consumption.
Air Traffic Control
at civil enclaves is usually entrusted to the armed forces
or it may be a joint civilian-military crew. In some countries security is the responsibility of military personnel; in others, civil security authorities such as the Transportation Security Administration
in the United States
retain responsibility for all civilian aviation security. It is generally accepted that the military receives revenues from civil use of ATC services if they own and operate them, but in some countries it is not clear as to whether capital expenditure for improvements such as runway expansion is the responsibility of the military or civilian authorities. One example in India is Goa
's Dabolim Airport
.
, which nonetheless has several shared military-civilian facilities, usually referred to in Federal Aviation Administration
records as shared-use airports or joint-use facilities. One example is Northwest Florida Regional Airport (a joint-use facility) in Fort Walton Beach, Florida
, which utilizes the runway and ATC services of Eglin Air Force Base
. Charleston International Airport
(a shared-use airport) in South Carolina
uses the runways and services of Charleston Air Force Base
. Both civil airports, however, operate their own passenger terminals and taxiways. Charleston also has private fixed base operator
s on the civilian side of the field catering to the general flying public (Okaloosa
is closed to almost all general aviation
).
, though never referred to as such in that country. Many Air National Guard
operations take place at smaller regional airports run by civil authorities. Airports containing ANG enclaves include McGhee Tyson Airport
in Knoxville, Tennessee
, Harrisburg International Airport
in Pennsylvania
and Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport
in Michigan
among many others; virtually every state without a major Air Force Base
has military operations present in at least one civilian airport. Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport
in India and Zia International Airport
in Bangladesh are examples of South Asian military enclaves.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
belonging to the armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
, for the usage of civil aircraft and civil aviation
Civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices...
related services.
Civil enclaves are common in countries like India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
where a part of an Air force
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
base, almost invariably a legacy of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
vintage, is allotted for domestic air traffic instead of building a new civilian airport. These airports usually have a curfew
Curfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
(mostly after sunset) during which civil aircraft are not permitted to operate. Many reserve morning hours for military flight training
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
. Some civil enclaves adopt an altitude restriction, i.e. one below which a civilian aircraft cannot descend while over-flying the enclave. The curfew system may result in airport congestion while the altitude restriction can cause long detours and greater fuel consumption.
Air Traffic Control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
at civil enclaves is usually entrusted to the armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
or it may be a joint civilian-military crew. In some countries security is the responsibility of military personnel; in others, civil security authorities such as the Transportation Security Administration
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
retain responsibility for all civilian aviation security. It is generally accepted that the military receives revenues from civil use of ATC services if they own and operate them, but in some countries it is not clear as to whether capital expenditure for improvements such as runway expansion is the responsibility of the military or civilian authorities. One example in India is Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
's Dabolim Airport
Dabolim Airport
Dabolim Airport is located in the village of Dabolim in Goa, India. It is the only airport in the state and operates as a civil enclave in a military airbase named INS Hansa.-History :...
.
In the United States
The term "civil enclave" is rarely used in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which nonetheless has several shared military-civilian facilities, usually referred to in Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
records as shared-use airports or joint-use facilities. One example is Northwest Florida Regional Airport (a joint-use facility) in Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Fort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
, which utilizes the runway and ATC services of Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
. Charleston International Airport
Charleston International Airport
Charleston International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located in the city of North Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina, USA. The airport serves the needs of the entire South Carolina Lowcountry. The airport has two runways and is operated under a joint-use agreement with...
(a shared-use airport) in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
uses the runways and services of Charleston Air Force Base
Charleston Air Force Base
Joint Base Charleston is a United States military facility located in North Charleston, South Carolina. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 628th Air Base Wing, Air Mobility Command...
. Both civil airports, however, operate their own passenger terminals and taxiways. Charleston also has private fixed base operator
Fixed base operator
A Fixed-base operator or commonly abbreviated FBO is a term developed in the United States after the passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926...
s on the civilian side of the field catering to the general flying public (Okaloosa
Okaloosa
Okaloosa may refer to:*Okaloosa Island*Okaloosa County, FloridaSee also*Okaloosa darter*Okaloosa-Walton College*Okaloosa Regional Airport...
is closed to almost all general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
).
Military Enclave
The obverse, a military enclave, is quite common in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, though never referred to as such in that country. Many Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
operations take place at smaller regional airports run by civil authorities. Airports containing ANG enclaves include McGhee Tyson Airport
McGhee Tyson Airport
-Top Destinations:-Accidents and incidents:* On 06 August, 1962, an American Airlines Lockheed L-188 Electra veered off the runway on landing, striking the raised edge of an under-construction taxiway with the landing gear, causing it to collapse...
in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, Harrisburg International Airport
Harrisburg International Airport
-Statistics:-Air cargo:Harrisburg International Airport is well positioned with freight-forwarding capabilities. The airport is located adjacent to I-76 , I-83, and I-81, allowing for fast air-to-ground transfer of goods and commodities...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport
Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport
Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Kalamazoo, a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States. The airport is also near the city of Battle CreekThe airport has an air...
in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
among many others; virtually every state without a major Air Force Base
Air Force Base
An Air Force Base is a military airbase of any of a number of air forces, such as the United States Air Force or South African Air Force ....
has military operations present in at least one civilian airport. Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport is India's eighth busiest airport with an average of 250 aircraft movements a day. It services the metropolitan areas of two cities in the State of Gujarat - Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. The airport is located from the Ahmedabad Railway Station. It is...
in India and Zia International Airport
Zia International Airport
Official full name Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport , located in the capital Dhaka, is the largest airport in Bangladesh. It started operations in 1980, taking over as the country's sole international airport from Tejgaon Airport...
in Bangladesh are examples of South Asian military enclaves.