RAF_Santacruz
RAF Santacruz
Airport in Maharashtra, India
Royal Air Force Santacruz or more simply RAF Santacruz is a former Royal Air Force station in Bombay (now called Mumbai), then British India which saw extensive use in the Second World War.
RAF Santacruz | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | ||||||||||||||||||
| Built | 1941; 83 years ago (1941) | ||||||||||||||||||
| In use | 1942–1947; 77 years ago (1947) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 37 ft / 11 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 19°05′19″N 072°52′05″E | ||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
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The Airfield was constructed in the 1930s when the nearby Juhu Aerodrome, located close by, could not cope with the fighters, bombers and other large transport planes of the Air Force, that required longer and stronger runways. The Santacruz Airfield covered an area of about 1,500 acres (607 hectares). It had three runways originally[1] and built as a standard Class A airfield, the main feature of which was a set of three intersecting concrete runways placed in a triangular pattern. The technical area and apron were located to the south between 09/27 and 14/32 and connected to a 50 feet (15 m) wide perimeter track. After the end of the War, the airport was handed over to the Director General of Civil Aviation for Civil operations and continues civilian operations.[2]
Numerous Fighter Squadrons and support units were stationed at Santacruz from 1942 to 1947.[3]
| Unit | Dates | Aircraft | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 159 Squadron RAF | 1945-1946 | Consolidated Liberator | VIII | Detachment from RAF Salbani, West Bengal |
| No. 203 Squadron RAF | November 1943-October 1944: | Vickers Wellington | Coastal patrols | |
| No. 217 Squadron RAF | 1947 | |||
| No. 244 Squadron RAF |
It is now part of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
- "Transport by Air". Maharashtra State Gazetteers. 1987. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
- "Airfield, Santacruz". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 30 October 1946. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
- "RAF Santacruz". www.rafweb.org. 9 January 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2012.