Will handle 60% of air cargo, 40% of passenger services:

Mattala airport to be ready by end 2012

By Shirajiv SIRIMANE

Sri Lanka's dream of a second international airport is now nearing completion with over 70 percent of the construction work on the Mattala airport being completed. The vision of the Government is to enhance the economy of the least developed regions of the island. Hambantota and Moneragala districts have been identified as potential regions and the Greater Hambantota development program was designed to boost the economic activities of the region.

The concept of a second international airport for Sri Lanka originated in 1938. Chairman, Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka Limited (AASL) Prasanna Wickramasuriya said that air cargo handling services will also be increased in parallel with the increase of the passenger handling capacity.

He said the second international airport will be opened in Mattala at the end of this year, and will handle 60 percent of air cargo services and 40 percent of passenger services.

He said Mattala will be one of the most eco-friendly airports in the world. An internal air terminal will be set up at the Bandaranaike International Airport on par with internal aviation service developments. He said tenders will be called for in April for the development of the second phase of the Katunayake airport. Rs. 350 million will be spent on this project.

Flydubai is the first airline to make a firm commitment to operate flights to Sri Lanka's second international airport in Mattala. Flydubai CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith, in an interview with the Sunday Observer said that the airline held several positive discussions in this regard with Sri Lankan authorities and said that they will be flying to Hambantota when the new airport opens.

More flights to Colombo

"Flydubai launched flights to Colombo in July 2010 with four flights a week. This frequency became daily from March 11, 2012. We want to add more flights to Colombo and this is why we want to fly to Mattala," he said.

Several other airlines such as SriLankan Airlines, Emirates and Mihin Air too will fly to Mattala. Arrangements have been made to increase the passenger handling capacity to 12 million by 2015 from the current figure of six million.

The loan agreement for the Stage 2 Phase II Development Project of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) was signed with JICA Colombo recently. Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited created history by being the first fully Government owned business organisation to receive a Japanese ODA loan for a project in Sri Lanka.

The Government of Japan will provide Yen 28,969 million for the development of the Stage 2 of Phase II of the BIA under the 42nd Yen Loan Package.

The scope of the project includes construction of a state-of-the-art multi-level terminal building with eight boarding gates, parking apron with nine aircraft stands and improvements to utilities. The project is to commence in December 2012 and completed by December 2015.

Diplomatic ties

This project also symbolises the establishment of the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between the Governments of Sri Lanka and Japan and Japan's long-term cooperation in Sri Lanka's development projects.

The Palali airport is also being upgraded and a new carpet road is almost complete from the city to the airport. The Palali passenger areas have been upgraded and there are around three daily flights to Jaffna by Expo Aviation and Heli Tours managed by Sri Lanka Air Force.

ExpoAir, the pioneering domestic aviation company in Sri Lanka, in operation since 1997, announced the resumption of regular flights from Colombo to Jaffna, offering a unique service, based on value for money, with stringent service standards. ExpoAir is the only domestic airline which continued operations from Colombo to Jaffna during the conflict.

Plans are also under way to build two domestic airports in Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. The main aim is to improve air travel services with wide domestic airport services, giving more impetus to air travel.

The new airport proposals are helping the nation to improve this mode of transport and earn high foreign income.

The proposed airports of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya are expected to be built at a cost of Rs. 750 million. This is in addition to the 16 existing domestic airports.