>BrownHairedGirl at 22:40, 15 April 2021

2021-04-15T22:40:51Z

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The '''Cholavaram Airport''', or '''Sholavaram Airport''', is an unused airport near [[Cholavaram]], [[Chennai]]. It was originally operated by [[Royal Air Force|the Royal Air Force]] as an airbase during [[World War II]]. After the war it was abandoned until the airstrip was turned into a venue for drag racing. Most notably, the famous Malayalam actor [[Jayan]] was killed in a helicopter accident here during the shooting of his film [[Kolilakkam]] on 16 November 1980.

The [[Indian Army]] later recovered the lands, which had been illegally occupied by local residents.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chennai: Land registration around Sholavaram airstrip halted|url=https://content.magicbricks.com/property-news/chennai-real-estate-news/chennai-land-registration-around-sholavaram-airstrip-halted/106775.html|access-date=2020-11-26|website=content.magicbricks.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=IAF retrieves World War 2 era airstrip from encroachers at Sholavaram |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/city/chennai/iaf-retrieves-world-war-2-era-airstrip-from-encroachers-at-sholavaram/videoshow/68243549.cms|access-date=2020-11-26|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=August 5, 2019|first=Yogesh|last=Kabirdoss |title=Drive to retrieve Sholavaram land uncovers WWII airstrip |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/drive-to-retrieve-sholavaram-land-uncovers-wwii-airstrip/articleshow/70527317.cms|access-date=2020-11-26|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> The military used the area and the remaining airstrip as a surveillance base.<ref>{{Cite web|date=March 11, 2019|first=Yogesh |last=Kabirdoss |title=IAF to turn unused Sholavaram airstrip into its first east coast surveillance base |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/iaf-to-turn-unused-sholavaram-airstrip-into-its-first-east-coast-surveillance-base/articleshow/68350547.cms|access-date=2020-11-26|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> There were also plans to use the airport as a secondary landing location for commercial aircraft.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kabirdoss|first=Yogesh|date=December 28, 2018|first2=V.|last2=Ayyappan |title=IAF notice: Squatters near Sholavaram airstrip get IAF notice |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/squatters-near-sholavaram-airstrip-get-iaf-notice/articleshow/67279143.cms|access-date=2020-11-26|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

In 2020 the airstrip was taken over by the [[Government of India]], with plans to construct a new airport under the [[UDAN|UDAN scheme.]]<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ramakrishnan|first=T.|date=2016-11-22|title=Centre identifies 13 unserved airports in TN under Udan scheme|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/Centre-identifies-13-unserved-airports-in-TN-under-Udan-scheme/article16722066.ece|access-date=2020-11-26|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=March 14, 2019|title=Sholavaram could be go-to strip as Udan flights choke Chennai airport |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/sholavaram-could-be-go-to-strip-as-udan-flights-choke-chennai-airport/articleshow/68400456.cms|access-date=2020-11-26|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

== Reference ==
<references />

[[Category:Airports in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Defunct airfields in India]]
[[Category:1940s establishments in British India]]
[[Category:Military airbases established in the 1940s]]

{{India-airport-stub}}

Cholavaram airbase - Revision history

>BrownHairedGirl at 22:40, 15 April 2021