Thanjavur AFS

Thanjavur Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force base located in Pilaiyarpatti, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. The airfield was constructed in 1940 by the Royal Indian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II, serving as a base for various aircraft types. After India's independence, the airfield was transferred to the Government of India for civilian use and later came under the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Commercial flights operated briefly in the early 1990s but ceased due to low patronage. The Indian Air Force (IAF) took over the airfield in March 1990. The base was officially inaugurated as an air force station on May 27, 2013. During the November 2008 floods in Tamil Nadu, IAF helicopters from Thanjavur conducted humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. The base is home to the No. 222 Squadron of the IAF, operating Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft. A new helicopter unit, comprising Chetak (SA 316B) helicopters, was inducted on March 19, 2024, tasked with peacetime Search and Rescue and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations. There are ongoing plans and efforts by both state and central governments to restart commercial operations at the airport, with land being exchanged between the IAF and AAI for the development of a passenger terminal.