began to develop as a land base. A tarmac runway was laid down and Air Ceylon operated services to and from Koggala by Douglas DC-3 Dakota aeroplanes. In 1964, the Dakotas were replaced by Avro 748 and Nord Aviation 262 aircraft. These services were terminated following the closure of Air Ceylon in 1978. Koggala continued as a Sri Lanka Air Force base. The current runway is capable of handling domestic aircraft like the Dash-8 and ATR-72. The Government of Sri Lanka expects to upgrade the Koggala airport to international standards as an alternative airport to the BIA. The feasibility study, by a U.S. agency, has been completed. Airlines and destinations References External links Runway 222 Group CEYLON FLYING BOAT BASE (29/11/1944) Leslie Tomlin's War at RAF Koggala, Sri Lanka 1942-45 Further reading Airports in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Air Force bases Buildings and structures in Galle District World War II sites in Sri Lanka