Koggala Airport
Encyclopedia
Koggala Airport in Sri Lanka
was originally a Royal Air Force
(RAF) Station RAF Koggala. It is now the SLAF Koggala, used for domestic flights and for military
purposes.
s. After the outbreak of war, a water runway
was demarcated and a flying boat
base was established, it was the largest flying-boat base in the east. The RAF flew Consolidated PBY Catalina
s and Short Sunderlands of No 202 Squadron RAF, No 204 Squadron RAF, No 205 Squadron RAF, and No 230 Squadron from here. It was a Catalina from Koggala which located the fleet of Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
on 4 April 1942. It was two Sunderlands from here that rescued a group of wounded Chindits
from Burma in June 1944.
After the Japanese
occupied the Malay Peninsula
in 1942, the QEA
/Imperial Airways
flight from London
to Sydney
lost Singapore
, its refueling point between Calcutta and Perth, Western Australia
. It was vital to the British
/Australia
n war effort that the flight be maintained at any cost, so an alternate route was established through Koggala.
QEA and Imperial Airways flew Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats from Koggala lake to the Swan River
at Perth, on what was at the time the world's longest non-stop air route. The aeroplanes each carried three passengers, and 60 kilograms (132.3 lb) of mail. At 28 hours, the flight was so long that the passengers saw the sun rise twice, and it came to be called the 'flight of The Double Sunrise'. The first flight arrived from Perth on 30 March 1943, the last fight was on 18 July 1945. The Catalinas were replaced by civilianised Consolidated B-24 Liberator
and Avro Lancastrian
aeroplanes.
Meanwhile, the tarmac
surface of the land runway was developed. After the war, Air Ceylon
operated services to and from Koggala by Douglas DC-3
Dakota aeroplanes. In 1964, the Dakotas were replaced by Avro 748
and Nord Aviation
262 aircraft. These services were terminated following the closure of Air Ceylon in 1978.
Koggala continued as a Sri Lanka Air Force base.
The Government of Sri Lanka expects to upgrade the Koggala airport to international standards as an alternative airport to the BIA. The feasibility study
, by a U.S. agency, has been completed.
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...
was originally a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) Station RAF Koggala. It is now the SLAF Koggala, used for domestic flights and for military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
purposes.
History
Prior to the Second World War, the lake at Koggala was used for seaplaneSeaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s. After the outbreak of war, a water runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
was demarcated and a flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
base was established, it was the largest flying-boat base in the east. The RAF flew Consolidated PBY Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
s and Short Sunderlands of No 202 Squadron RAF, No 204 Squadron RAF, No 205 Squadron RAF, and No 230 Squadron from here. It was a Catalina from Koggala which located the fleet of Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
Chuichi Nagumo
was a Japanese admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II and one time commander of the Kido Butai . He committed suicide during the Battle of Saipan.-Early life:...
on 4 April 1942. It was two Sunderlands from here that rescued a group of wounded Chindits
Chindits
The Chindits were a British India "Special Force" that served in Burma and India in 1943 and 1944 during the Burma Campaign in World War II. They were formed into long range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines...
from Burma in June 1944.
After the Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
occupied the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
in 1942, the QEA
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
/Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
flight from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
lost Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, its refueling point between Calcutta and Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. It was vital to the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
/Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n war effort that the flight be maintained at any cost, so an alternate route was established through Koggala.
QEA and Imperial Airways flew Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats from Koggala lake to the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
at Perth, on what was at the time the world's longest non-stop air route. The aeroplanes each carried three passengers, and 60 kilograms (132.3 lb) of mail. At 28 hours, the flight was so long that the passengers saw the sun rise twice, and it came to be called the 'flight of The Double Sunrise'. The first flight arrived from Perth on 30 March 1943, the last fight was on 18 July 1945. The Catalinas were replaced by civilianised Consolidated B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
and Avro Lancastrian
Avro Lancastrian
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Franks, Richard A. The Avro Lancaster, Manchester and Lincoln: A Comprehensive Guide for the Modeller. London: SAM Publications, 2000. ISBN 0-9533465-3-6....
aeroplanes.
Meanwhile, the tarmac
Tarmac
Tarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901...
surface of the land runway was developed. After the war, Air Ceylon
Air Ceylon
Air Ceylon was the flag carrier airline of Sri Lanka from 1947 until 1978, when it was replaced by Air Lanka.- History :...
operated services to and from Koggala by Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
Dakota aeroplanes. In 1964, the Dakotas were replaced by Avro 748
Avro 748
The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed by the British firm Avro in the late 1950s as a replacement for the now-aged DC-3s then in widespread service as feederliners. Avro concentrated on performance, notably for STOL operations, and found a dedicated...
and Nord Aviation
Nord Aviation
Nord-Aviation was a state-owned French aircraft manufacturer. It was created on October 1, 1954 upon the acquisition of SFECMAS by SNCAN...
262 aircraft. These services were terminated following the closure of Air Ceylon in 1978.
Koggala continued as a Sri Lanka Air Force base.
The Government of Sri Lanka expects to upgrade the Koggala airport to international standards as an alternative airport to the BIA. The feasibility study
Feasibility study
Feasibility studies aim to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats as presented by the environment, the resources required to carry through, and ultimately the prospects for success. In its simplest...
, by a U.S. agency, has been completed.