RAF Nicosia

Royal Air Force Station Nicosia or RAF Nicosia was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station on the island of Cyprus, built in the 1930s. The station served as Headquarters Royal Air Force Cyprus from 8 June to 29 July 1941.

RAF Nicosia

"In Quadrivio Paratus"[1]
Summary
Airport typeMilitary (and formerly: joint Military & Civil)
OwnerMinistry of Defence
Operatorformerly: Royal Air Force, now: United Nations
ServesNicosia
LocationLefkosia, Cyprus
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
Asphalt
Asphalt

The original principal airport for Cyprus, Nicosia International Airport, was built within the site of the RAF station. Both civil and military aviation on the island operated from the site, although the RAF disestablished the station in 1966.

The 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus led to the cessation of commercial operations from the airport, although the site is still owned by the British Ministry of Defence,[2] but is controlled by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus and used as a base by United Nations peace-keeping patrol helicopters.

Station history

Derelict control tower of Nicosia Airport

Source: Britain's Small Wars[3]

RAF Regiments

Current use

The site is now the currently largely disused Nicosia International Airport.

See also

References

Citations

  1. Pine, L G (1983). A Dictionary of mottoes. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 110. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  2. House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 19 Jan 2005 (pt 6)
  3. "British units serving in Cyprus 1955–1959". Britain's Small Wars. Archived from the original on 12 October 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
  4. Jefford 1988, p. 26.
  5. Jefford 1988, p. 169.

Bibliography

  • Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.

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