RAF Gan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
RAF Gan
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Motto: En Route
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence, UK | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force (RAF) | ||||||||||
| Location | Gan island, Addu Atoll, Maldives | ||||||||||
| Built | 1957 | ||||||||||
| In use | 1957–1 April 1976 | ||||||||||
| Time zone | Maldives Time (MVT) (UTC+5) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 2 m / 6 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 00°41′29″S 073°09′22″E / 0.69139°S 73.15611°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
 RAF Gan
Location in Maldives
RAF Gan
Location in Indian Ocean
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Information correct during operational period by the Royal Air Force
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Royal Air Force Gan, or RAF Gan, was a military air base. It belonged to the Royal Air Force (RAF). The base was on Gan island in the Maldives. This island is in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
Its motto was En Route. This means "On the Way" in French. It showed how important the base was. It was a key stop for RAF planes. They used it to refuel and rest on their long journeys. This helped them reach their bases in the Far East.
The RAF left Gan in 1976. The airfield then became a civilian airport. Today, it is known as Gan International Airport.
History of RAF Gan
The area where RAF Gan was built first became a military base in 1941. This was during World War II. The Royal Navy (RN) started building airstrips. They used crushed coral to make the runways. These were for their planes, called the Fleet Air Arm.
In 1942, the Royal Air Force (RAF) also used bases in the Addu Atoll. A group of RAF staff came from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). They helped service and prepare RAF flying boats. These planes, like the Short Sunderland and PBY Catalina, flew into the Addu Atoll lagoon. After the war ended, all military buildings were removed or left empty.
Why RAF Gan Was Built
In 1956 and 1957, the RAF gave its bases in Ceylon to the Sri Lanka Air Force. This meant the RAF needed a new stopover point. They needed a place between their bases in the Middle East and the Far East. Gan island was the best choice.
So, RAF Gan was set up in the late 1950s. It became a vital stop for planes going to Singapore. Singapore was where the Far East Air Force was based. Before, planes flew through countries that used to be British. But these countries were now independent. Sometimes, they were not friendly. RAF Gan offered a new, safer route.
RAF Gan's Busy Years
RAF Gan was used a lot in the late 1950s and 1960s. Bombers, fighter jets, and transport planes all stopped there. They were on their way to Singapore and other places in East Asia. Sometimes, other military forces, like the US, also used the base.
However, in the 1970s, the United Kingdom started to pull back its forces. They were leaving areas east of the Suez Canal. By the end of 1971, the RAF Far East Air Force was closed down. This meant RAF Gan was no longer as important.
Planes visited much less often. But the base stayed open for a few more years. By 1975, British military planes rarely used the base. So, RAF Gan was closed. On April 1, 1976, the entire island and its airfield were given back to the Maldivian Government. At the same time, the RAF started using a new airfield. This new base was on Diego Garcia island. It was about 200 miles south of Gan.
RAF Gan Today
After the Maldivian Government took over, the island was left unused for many years. But as money became available, the airfield was slowly turned into a civilian airport. It is now called Gan International Airport.
Most of the former base is now a tourist resort. It is called Equator Village. The old military buildings are still there. They have been changed into hotel rooms and other resort facilities. The building that was once the military hospital is now a dive center.
See also
- RAF Hittadu – a communications site that supported RAF Gan
- List of former Royal Air Force stations
