SLAF Batticaloa

Sri Lanka Air Force Batticaloa (SLAF Batticaloa) is a military airbase and dual-use airfield located in Puthunagar on the island of Thimilathiu, southwest of Batticaloa in eastern Sri Lanka. The facility originally opened as a civil domestic airport on 17 November 1958 under the Department of Civil Aviation. Civil operations ceased in August 1979, and a Sri Lanka Air Force base was established at the site on 27 March 1983. In 1985, during the Sri Lankan Civil War, the perimeter surrounding the base was designated a security zone and enclosed with perimeter fencing.

Redevelopment of the airfield began in September 2012 following the end of the civil war. In December 2015, the Sri Lanka Air Force was tasked with completing infrastructure upgrades, which included constructing a new terminal building and executing runway extension work. The overall site encompasses 145.2 hectares, of which the Sri Lanka Air Force occupies 75.9 hectares.

The airfield operates under shared civilian and military administration. Civilian operations were placed under the jurisdiction of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka in May 2016, with Airport and Aviation Services acting as the civilian operator while SLAF Batticaloa maintains military operations on site. In October 2019, the airfield was designated as a regional international airport.