Bandaranaike International Airport
Encyclopedia
Bandaranaike International Airport (also known as Katunayake International Airport and Colombo International Airport) is Sri Lanka
's only international airport
at the moment. Mattala International Airport
, when it gets built will be the second International Airport of Sri Lanka. It is located in Katunayake
, 35 km (21.7 mi) north of Colombo
. It is administered by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd. It is the hub
of SriLankan Airlines
, the national carrier
of Sri Lanka, and Mihin Lanka
, the budget airline of Sri Lanka.
airfield in 1944 during the Second World War
, RAF Station Negombo. In 1957, when SWRD Bandaranaike removed all the British
Military airfields from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), the airfield was handed over to the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) and renamed Katunayake. Part of it still remains an Air Force airfield.
In 1964 Anil Moonesinghe
, the Cabinet 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
. The airport was also a Trans World Airlines
(TWA) hub for a short time.
It was named Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), 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.
Airport expansion projects have recently been undertaken at the airport under the Stage 1, Phase II Expansion Project. A pier with eight aero-bridges opened in November 2005. A new terminal with an additional eight gates are proposed to be built under Stage II of the Phase II Expansion Project. Construction of the new Stage II, Phase II Expansion Project is expected to commence in 2011 and is expected to be completed in 2012.
On 7 May 2007 the Sri Lankan Government
decided to shift some military aviation operations out of the space adjoining the airport to SLAF Hingurakgoda
, thus paving the way for more civilian operations.
As part of the airport development program, a passenger train service was launched between the Airport and Colombo Secretariat Station, in June 2010.also unveiled plans to extend the Colombo-Katunayake airport express train to Ratmalana
The airport is used by Emirates Airlines as an alternative emergency airport for its Airbus A380
aircraft. The largest aircraft in the world-Airbus A380 to land in Sri Lanka for the fist time in 2012 with emirates
. It has been announced, as of December 3, 2009, that its current runway will be extended to 3,350 metres. Future projects may include a second runway to support the Airbus A380
, a further eight passenger gates
, a domestic terminal
, a five storey car-park, and a five star hotel neighbouring the airport. New approach channels into the airport will be created in 2012.
The arrival and departure areas in the passenger terminal are located close to each other, easing the movement of passengers between terminals. There are 50 check-in desks, 12 gates, 575 short-term parking spaces, three airport hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, bars, a VIP lounge, duty-free shop and disabled access / facilities. In 2009, a lounge named Silk Route was opened at the terminal. It provides facilities such as food, newspapers and the internet.
The cargo village terminal I occupies an area of 2,787m², and includes freight forwarders, warehouses, airline offices, banks, courier service, gem and diamond exchange and customs. The 1,858m² cargo village terminal II has facilities for refrigerated and frozen cargo, airmail sorting centre and offshore avionics workshop.The airport has been a popular cargo port for a long time and it is not unusual to see a few cargo aircraft at the airport at any given time. The cargo airlines that have served Colombo in the past include Emirates and Lufthansa.
Currently MidEx Airlines is the most active freight carrier at the airport, operating daily flights from Al Ain, followed closely by Expo Aviation.
"Facilitating international trade, the BIA provides cargo handling services with a capacity of 250,000 MT and a dedicated, well-trained team. With the expansion that is underway, the air cargo terminal will undoubtedly play a key role in supporting the needs and demands of industry."
In March 2001, on the 50th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Air Force, the base was presented with the President’s Colours
.
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...
's only international airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
at the moment. Mattala International Airport
Mattala International Airport
The Mattala International Airport is an international airport currently under construction in Mattala, in the Hambantota District in the south of Sri Lanka...
, when it gets built will be the second International Airport of Sri Lanka. It is located in Katunayake
Katunayake
Katunayake , is a town situated on the west coast of the island of Sri Lanka near Negombo and close to the commercial capital of Colombo. It is the site of Bandaranaike International Airport, the primary international air gateway to Sri Lanka...
, 35 km (21.7 mi) north of Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. It is administered by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd. It is the hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
of SriLankan Airlines
SriLankan Airlines
SriLankan Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Sri Lanka. It operates to destinations in Asia and Europe from its base and hub at Bandaranaike International Airport . The airline's trademark phrase is 'You're Our World', and the company's logo features a stylized peacock...
, the national carrier
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
of Sri Lanka, and Mihin Lanka
Mihin Lanka
Mihin Lanka is a low-cost airline based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is a fully owned and funded enterprise of the Sri Lankan government. Its main focus is providing low cost flights from Colombo to a number of cities in the Indian subcontinent, the Gulf States and Southeast Asia...
, the budget airline of Sri Lanka.
History
The airport began as a Royal Air ForceRoyal 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...
airfield in 1944 during the Second World War
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...
, RAF Station Negombo. In 1957, when SWRD Bandaranaike removed all the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Military airfields from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), the airfield was handed over to the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) and renamed Katunayake. Part of it still remains an Air Force airfield.
In 1964 Anil Moonesinghe
Anil Moonesinghe
Anil Moonesinghe was a Sri Lankan Trotskyist revolutionary politician and trade unionist. He became a Member of Parliament, a Cabinet Minister, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament and a Diplomat. He authored several books and edited newspapers and magazines. He was Chairperson and General Manager of...
, the Cabinet Minister of Communications, started the building of a new international airport to replace Ratmalana
Ratmalana Airport
Ratmalana Airport , formally known as Colombo Airport, is a major domestic airport and military base in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was once Colombo's international airport, until the current Bandaranaike International Airport opened in the 1960s...
, with Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
aid. The airport was completed in 1967, and 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 :...
, the national carrier, began international operations from it using a Hawker Siddeley Trident
Hawker Siddeley Trident
The Hawker Siddeley HS 121 Trident was a British short/medium-range three-engined jet airliner designed by de Havilland and built by Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s and 1970s...
and a leased British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
(BOAC) British Aircraft Corporation
British Aircraft Corporation
The British Aircraft Corporation was a British aircraft manufacturer formed from the government-pressured merger of English Electric Aviation Ltd., Vickers-Armstrongs , the Bristol Aeroplane Company and Hunting Aircraft in 1960. Bristol, English Electric and Vickers became "parents" of BAC with...
(BAC) VC-10
Vickers VC10
The Vickers VC10 is a long-range British airliner designed and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, and first flown in 1962. The airliner was designed to operate on long-distance routes with a high subsonic speed and also be capable of hot and high operations from African airports...
. The airport was also a Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
(TWA) hub for a short time.
It was named Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), after former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. However, the President is both head of state and head of government in Sri Lanka...
SWRD Bandaranaike, in 1970. It was renamed Katunayake International Airport in 1977, but was changed back to Bandaranaike International Airport in 1995.
Airport expansion projects have recently been undertaken at the airport under the Stage 1, Phase II Expansion Project. A pier with eight aero-bridges opened in November 2005. A new terminal with an additional eight gates are proposed to be built under Stage II of the Phase II Expansion Project. Construction of the new Stage II, Phase II Expansion Project is expected to commence in 2011 and is expected to be completed in 2012.
On 7 May 2007 the Sri Lankan Government
Politics of Sri Lanka
Politics of Sri Lanka takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Sri Lanka is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both...
decided to shift some military aviation operations out of the space adjoining the airport to SLAF Hingurakgoda
SLAF Hingurakgoda
SLAF Hingurakgoda is a Sri Lanka Air Force station located in Hingurakgoda, Sri Lanka.This base was an RAF airfield, RAF Minneriya during the World War II from 1942 to 1946, which was renovated and re-established by the Sri Lanka Air Force in 1978. It is also the fourth largest airport in Sri Lanka...
, thus paving the way for more civilian operations.
As part of the airport development program, a passenger train service was launched between the Airport and Colombo Secretariat Station, in June 2010.also unveiled plans to extend the Colombo-Katunayake airport express train to Ratmalana
The airport is used by Emirates Airlines as an alternative emergency airport for its Airbus A380
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
aircraft. The largest aircraft in the world-Airbus A380 to land in Sri Lanka for the fist time in 2012 with emirates
Future projects
The airport is undergoing resurfacing of its runwayRunway
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...
. It has been announced, as of December 3, 2009, that its current runway will be extended to 3,350 metres. Future projects may include a second runway to support the Airbus A380
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
, a further eight passenger gates
Gate (airport)
A gate in aviation is a long, movable, "bridge" that allows passengers to embark and disembark their aircraft.* Jetway bridges* Air stairs, either built into the aircraft or from a mobile vehicle* Mobile lounges...
, a domestic terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
, a five storey car-park, and a five star hotel neighbouring the airport. New approach channels into the airport will be created in 2012.
Runway and expansion
The Bandaranaike international airport has a single runway (04/22) with asphalt surface. The take-off and landing distances of the runway are 3,441m and 3,350m respectively. The overall length of the runway is 91m. There is a plan to construct a second runway to support the Airbus A380. The construction is expected to begin in 2012.- Runway Overlay by 2009
- A second runway begin construction on this work around March/April 2012
- Second Runway- 4,000 X 60 meters. 1.5 kilo meters North or South from existing runway
Stage II, Phase II Expansion Project
- Project Implementation 2007-2012
- Airport access roads and landside curbs
- Multi-storey car park
- Expansion of the duty free area by 125 shops
- Additional Passenger Terminal Building- 120,000 sqm with segregated departures and arrivals levels.
- Pier (40 X 300 meters)- 8 gates, with gate lounges and aero-bridges. Total aero-bridge capacity to be upgraded to 16 aero-bridges.
- Expansion of International Aircraft Parking capacity to 32 aircraft
- Expansion of Passenger Movement Capacity to 16 million people per annum
- Expansion of cargo movement capacity to 1,000,000 tons per annum
- Additional Remote Aircraft Apron
- New Cargo Terminal Building
- Construction of new apron
- Construction of new taxiways
- Construction of a second runway
- Construction of elevated roadway and roads;
- Construction of a passenger terminal building (floor area approximately 104,000 square metres);
- Construction of public utilities;
- Renovation of departure and arrival porch and walkway at existing passenger building
- Construction of related facilities
- Domestic terminal at BIA
- Construction of elevated roadway and roads
- Construction of public utilities
- Renovation of departure and arrival porch and walkway at existing passenger building
- Construction of related facilities
- Construction of Air traffic control system
- Construction of electricity system.
- Construction of road and multi-level car parking
- Construction of a power supply system
- Construction of a water supply system
Terminals
- Terminal 1, international flights
- Terminal 2, international flights under construction and expected completion in 2013
The arrival and departure areas in the passenger terminal are located close to each other, easing the movement of passengers between terminals. There are 50 check-in desks, 12 gates, 575 short-term parking spaces, three airport hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, bars, a VIP lounge, duty-free shop and disabled access / facilities. In 2009, a lounge named Silk Route was opened at the terminal. It provides facilities such as food, newspapers and the internet.
Cargo terminal
- Terminal 4, for cargo flights
- Terminal 5, for cargo flights
- Terminal 6, for cargo flights
The cargo village terminal I occupies an area of 2,787m², and includes freight forwarders, warehouses, airline offices, banks, courier service, gem and diamond exchange and customs. The 1,858m² cargo village terminal II has facilities for refrigerated and frozen cargo, airmail sorting centre and offshore avionics workshop.The airport has been a popular cargo port for a long time and it is not unusual to see a few cargo aircraft at the airport at any given time. The cargo airlines that have served Colombo in the past include Emirates and Lufthansa.
Currently MidEx Airlines is the most active freight carrier at the airport, operating daily flights from Al Ain, followed closely by Expo Aviation.
"Facilitating international trade, the BIA provides cargo handling services with a capacity of 250,000 MT and a dedicated, well-trained team. With the expansion that is underway, the air cargo terminal will undoubtedly play a key role in supporting the needs and demands of industry."
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Note 1: Although some of these flights make an intermediate stop en route to their listed destination, they do not have rights to carry traffic solely between Colombo and the intermediate city.Cargo
Car
- Colombo-Katunayake Expressway is a new high-speed road linking the airport to Colombo, with a travel time of around 20 minutes.
Rail
- Airport Express Luxury Train Service runs from the airport to the Secretariat Railway Station in Colombo.
Taxi Service
- The airport taxi service, supervised by Airport and Aviation Services ltd., operates a counter in the arrivals lobby, with a fleet of over 600 vehicles.
Bus Service
- A shuttle bus operates every 15 minutes from the terminal to the main bus station located about 500m away, where intercity buses operate to the city.
SLAF Katunayake
In 1956 with the departure of the RAF from RAF Negombo, the Royal Ceylon Air Force took over and renamed the station RCyAF Katunayake. With the construction of the Bandaranaike International Airport, major portion of the air base was taken over. However the Sri Lanka Air Force remained and expanded its air base adjoining the International Airport. At present it is the largest SLAF station in the country and is the base for several flying squadrons as well as ground units. The Air Force Hospital is also based at SLAF Katunayake.In March 2001, on the 50th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Air Force, the base was presented with the President’s Colours
Colours, standards and guidons
In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards or Guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago...
.
Lodger squadrons
- No. 4 (VIP) Helicopter SquadronNo. 4 Squadron SLAFNo. 4 Helicopter Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates Bell 412s from SLAF Katunayake for VIP Air transport.-History:...
- No. 5 Jet SquadronNo. 5 Squadron SLAFNo. 5 "Jet" Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates in both air defence and ground attack role with F-7 Skybolts from SLAF Katunayake.-History:...
- No. 10 Fighter SquadronNo. 10 Squadron SLAFNo. 10 "Fighter" Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates the IAI Kfir from SLAF Katunayake. The squadron is tasked with providing offensive support for ground & maritime operations, air interdiction and interception...
- No. 12 SquadronNo. 12 Squadron SLAFNo. 12 Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates in both ground attack and close air support role operating with Mikoyan MiG-27s from SLAF Katunayake.. The Squadron also operates a single Mikoyan MiG-23UB as conversion trainer for the MiG-27.-History:The squadron was...
Incidents at Bandaranaike International Airport
- On 4 December 1974, Martinair Flight 138Martinair Flight 138Martinair Flight 138 was a chartered flight from Surabaya, Indonesia to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The aircraft was operated on behalf of Garuda Indonesia...
, a Douglas DC-8Douglas DC-8The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
flew into the side of a mountain while on landing approach to Bandaranaike. All 191 passengers and crew on board were killed. - On November 15, 1978, Icelandic Airlines Flight LL 001, a Douglas DC-8Douglas DC-8The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
on a charter flight, crashed into a coconut plantation while on approach to Katunayake, Sri Lanka for a refueling stop. 184 out of 264 people on board were killed. - May 3, 1986 - Air Lanka Flight 512. In an operation carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil EelamLiberation Tigers of Tamil EelamThe Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
(LTTE or Tamil Tigers), a bomb in an Air Lanka (now SriLankan Airlines) Lockheed L-1011Lockheed L-1011The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, commonly referred to as the L-1011 or TriStar, is a medium-to-long range, widebody passenger trijet airliner. It was the third widebody airliner to enter commercial operations, following the Boeing 747 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. Between 1968 and 1984, Lockheed...
TriStar 100 exploded while passengers where boarding for a short-hop flight to MaléMaléMalé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
, in the MaldivesMaldivesThe Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
. 14 passengers were killed, and the aeroplane was written off. - March 24, 2000 - An Antonov 12BKAntonov An-12The Antonov An-12 is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is the military version of the Antonov An-10.-Design and development:...
operated by cargo carrier Sky CabsSky Cabs-Code data:*IATA Code: 2E*ICAO Code: -*Callsign: -The airline operated international cargo services and is now out of business and defunct....
crashed due to lack of fuel. It crashed into two houses killing four people on the ground and six of the eight crew on board. - 4 February 2000- An Ilyushin 18DIlyushin Il-18The Ilyushin Il-18 is a large turboprop airliner that became one of the best known Soviet aircraft of its era as well as one of the most popular and durable, having first flown in 1957 and still in use over 50 years later. The Il-18 was one of the world's principal airliners for several decades...
cargo plane operated by Phoenix AviationPhoenix AviationPhoenix Aviation was an airline based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. It was established and started operations in 1996 and operated passenger and freight services...
and charted to Sri Lankan cargo company Expo Aviation was landing in Colombo on a flight from DubaiDubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
. However, the copilot set the altimeterAltimeterAn altimeter is an instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level. The measurement of altitude is called altimetry, which is related to the term bathymetry, the measurement of depth underwater.-Pressure altimeter:...
incorrectly and the landing gearUndercarriageThe undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
contacted the surface of the sea, 10.7 km (6.6 mi) short of the runway. A belly landingBelly landingA belly landing or gear-up landing occurs when an aircraft lands without its landing gear fully extended and uses its underside, or belly, as its primary landing device...
was performed 50 m (164 ft) to the right of the runway. - July 24, 2001 - Bandaranaike Airport attackBandaranaike Airport attackThe Bandaranaike Airport attack was an assault by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on Bandaranaike International Airport, on July 24, 2001...
. 14 members of the LTTE Black TigerLTTE Black TigerThe Black Tigers were a wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a militant Sri Lankan separatist organization. They were specially selected and trained LTTE cadres whose missions included mounting suicide attacks against military and civilian targets...
suicide squad infiltrated Katunayake air base, destroying eight military aircraft on the tarmac. They then moved to the civilian airport, destroying two AirbusAirbusAirbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
aircraft and damaging three others. Seven government personnel were killed. - September 8, 2005 - While a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
taxiedTaxiingTaxiing refers to the movement of an aircraft on the ground, under its own power, in contrast to towing or push-back where the aircraft is moved by a tug...
for takeoffTakeoffTakeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle goes from the ground to flying in the air.For horizontal takeoff aircraft this usually involves starting with a transition from moving along the ground on a runway. For balloons, helicopters and some specialized fixed-wing aircraft , no...
on an international flight from Colombo to JeddahJeddahJeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
, Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, air traffic controllerAir traffic controllerAir traffic controllers are the people who expedite and maintain a safe and orderly flow of air traffic in the global air traffic control system. The position of the air traffic controller is one that requires highly specialized skills...
s received an anonymous telephone call concerning a possible bomb on the aircraft. The crew was informed about this call and elected to perform an emergency evacuationEmergency evacuationEmergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
. As a result of the evacuation, there were 62 injuries among the 420 passengers and 22 crew members. One of the passengers died as a result of injuries received during the evacuation, and 17 passengers were hospitalized. No explosive devices were found after a search of the aircraft. - March 25, 2007 - At 00:45 the Tamil Tigers bombed the Sri Lanka Air Force base adjoining the international airport. Three Air Force personnel were killed and 16 injured when light aircraft dropped two bombs, although no aircraft were damaged. Passengers already on aircraft were disembarked and led to a shelter, while others trying to reach the airport were turned away and approach roads closed. The airport was temporarily shut down following the incident, but normal flights resumed at 03:30.