Car Nicobar Air Force Station | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
| Operator | Indian Air Force | ||||||||||
| Location | Car Nicobar,India | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 2 m / 5 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 09°09′09″N092°49′11″E / 9.15250°N 92.81972°E /9.15250; 92.81972 | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  CBD Location of airport in India Show map of Andaman and Nicobar Islands CBD CBD (India) Show map of India | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Sources:[1] | |||||||||||
Car Nicobar Air Force Station (IATA:CBD,ICAO:VOCX) is located inIAF Camp village, onCar Nicobar Island in theunion territory of theAndaman and Nicobar Islands,India.
The 37 Wing Air Force Station at Car Nicobar has an area of 204 hectares (504 acres). The 914-metre (3,000 ft)bitumen runway was built by the Japanese during their occupation of these islands between 1942 and 1945. After 1945, it was used by the British Royal Air Force as a refuelling base for regular (generally twice-weekly) flights between RAF Negombo (nowColombo International Airport) in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) and RAF Changi in Singapore (& vice versa), with an additional stop in RAF Butterworth, on the Malayan peninsula (opposite Penang). These flights were generally operated byVickers Valetta twin-prop aircraft. The runway was extended to 2,708 metres (8,886 ft) by theIndian Air Force (IAF) in 1967. The first Mi-8 helicopter arrived here in 1982. Besides theNo. 122 Helicopter Flight, IAF ofMi-8 helicopters,[2]Dorniers and an Air Defence unit are based here.[3]
The airstrip was brought into operation by the IAF by raising a staging post in the year 1956,[4] with its role as a refuelling station for all aircraft flying across the Bay of Bengal. The Helicopter Flight was later inducted on 1 April 1985. The Base was upgraded to Forward Base Support Units (FBSU) on 23 August 1986 and subsequently as a Wing on 15 September 1993.[5]
The air station was devastated by the2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, when 116 IAF officers and men, and wives and children, died. Little remained of the air base, which was established as India's southernmost defence post. IAF personnel worked night and day: the runway was repaired, navigational aids and the basic infrastructure were put back in place. On 14 April, just three-and-a-half months later, the Car Nicobar Air Station resumed operations.[6]
The airport resides at anelevation of 2 metres (5 ft) abovemean sea level. It has onerunway designated 02/20 with aconcrete surface measuring 2,717 by 43 metres (8,914 ft × 141 ft).[1]
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Administration operates biweekly flights every Monday and Friday betweenPort Blair andCampbell Bay via Car Nicobar with 10 seaterD228 aircraft chartered from the Indian Air Force.[7] There is also a regular helicopter service byPawan Hans between Car Nicobar,Port Blair and the various islands ofNicobar district.
Carnicobar (Iaf)Code:VOCX*IATA Code:CBDLat,Lon:9.1525,92.8196State:IndiaElevation:5City:Iaf CampFIR:VOMFSchedule:No
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