Topic summary
Civil enclave
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Joint-use airport.
Civil enclave
A civil enclave is an area at a military air base allotted for the usage of civil aviation. Civil enclaves are common in countries like India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan where a part of an air base, almost invariably a legacy of World War II vintage, is allotted for domestic air traffic instead of building a new civilian airport. These airports usually have a curfew (mostly after sunset) during which civil aircraft are not permitted to operate. Many reserve morning hours for military flight training. Some civil enclaves adopt an altitude restriction, i.e., one below which a civilian aircraft cannot descend while over-flying the enclave. The curfew system may result in airport congestion while the altitude restriction can cause long detours and greater fuel consumption.