Jaffna International Airport

Jaffna International Airport

யாழ்ப்பாணம் சர்வதேச விமான நிலையம்
යාපනය ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of Sri Lanka
OperatorAirport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited
ServesJaffna
LocationPalaly, Sri Lanka
Opened2019
Time zoneSLST ({{{utc}}})
Elevation AMSL10 m / 33 ft
Coordinates09°47′32.40″N 80°04′12.30″E / 9.7923333°N 80.0700833°E / 9.7923333; 80.0700833
WebsiteOfficial website
Map
JAF is located in Northern Province
JAF
JAF
Location in Northern Province
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
05/23 1,400 4,593 Asphalt

Jaffna International Airport (Tamil: யாழ்ப்பாணம் சர்வதேச விமான நிலையம், romanized: Yāḻppāṇam Carvatēca Vimāṉa Nilaiyam; Sinhala: යාපනය ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ, romanized: Yāpanaya Jātyantara Guvantoṭupaḷa) (IATA: JAF, ICAO: VCCJ), formerly known as Palaly Airport and Jaffna Airport, is an international airport serving northern Sri Lanka. It was also a military airbase known as Sri Lanka Air Force Palaly or SLAF Palaly.[1] The airport is located in the town of Palaly near Kankesanthurai, 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8 mi) north of the city of Jaffna.[2] It is at an elevation of 10 m (34 ft) and has one runway designated 05/23 with an asphalt surface measuring 1,400 by 30 metres (4,593 ft × 98 ft).[2]

The airport was originally built by the Royal Air Force during World War II, after which it functioned as the country's second international airport. It was taken over by the Sri Lanka Air Force during the Sri Lankan Civil War. Domestic civilian flights resumed in the mid-1990s and in 2019 it became Sri Lanka's third international airport. The inauguration of the Jaffna International Airport marked a significant milestone. Subsequently, scheduled flights connecting Jaffna and Chennai commenced in November of the same year. These ventures and cooperative efforts work in tandem to reinforce the well-established people-to-people connections that exist between India and Sri Lanka.[3]

  1. ^ "Sri Lanka Air Force Palaly". Sri Lanka Air Force. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Aerodrome Data: Kankesanturai/Jaffna Airport (VCCJ)". AIP Sri Lanka. Colombo, Sri Lanka: Aeronautical Information Services of the Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  3. ^ bugsbunny (12 April 2023). "India's historical connection to Buddhism". Colombo Gazette. Retrieved 25 August 2023.