Taking domestic travel to a new high:

Making Sri Lanka Asia's aviation hub

By Shirajiv SIRIMANE

The opening of the Colombo-Galle expressway would open new vistas in the local transport sector - just one hour's drive to Galle as against the present three hours, It would also be the country's only road where drivers have to pay a toll for plying on it. It would also be the only road where drivers would not be given a speeding ticket for high speed driving.

Not only private vehicles even public transport would be allowed to ply on the highway extending the service of speedy travel even to the less affluent.

The discussion to revive the ferry service between India and Colombo was discussed for three decades and it was eventually two months ago that the Indian luxury liner Flamingo started operating services to Sri Lanka.

An Indian Shipping official has said that it is a historic moment for Indian Shipping, particularly for the VOC Port and Tamil Nadu, since it marked the revival after so many decades of the service started by V.O.C in 1907.

He has stated that this was a fulfilment of a long pending public demand and this would benefit people of both countries, particularly the Tamil Population besides giving a boost to cultural ties, tourism, and trade, a release from the Press Information Bureau stated.

The official has expressed the hope that the service will help in transforming the VOC Port and Tuticorin into a hub for passenger ferry services and cruise shipping.

e said that the government is also working on resuming the Rameshwaram-Talaimanar ferry service which was discontinued in the 1980s.

The vessel which will travel twice weekly on Wednesdays and Fridays and has a capacity of 1,040 passengers and could carry 9,300 tonne cargo.

The ferry allows baggage up to 100 kilograms per person as well as another 100 kilograms at a lower cost as opposed to air travellers who have a far less baggage allowance. It takes a passenger fourteen hours for the journey giving ample time to enjoy the journey.

Another Ferry to start operating soon, is to be run by Sri Lanka's state-owned Ceylon Shipping Corporation clearly showing the popularity of this service.

Meanwhile, it was in 1931 when the first aircraft landed at Ratmalana airport and Sri Lanka's first national airline was Air Ceylon. During the second world war, several domestic air strips were opened and the Colombo airport in Katunayake too was opened.

When the airline industry was making giant strides including the launching, scheduled domestic flights to Jaffna the LTTE downed the Lion Air aircraft and subsequently domestic flights were doomed.

Some domestic airports like the Puttalam airstrip which was just idling was given to Holcim to operate a cement factory.

One of the first industries to recover after the turbulent times, was the tourism sector and with the government's initiative of taking industries out of Colombo, entrepreneurs and tourists wanted to travel from point to point fast.

This opened the skies to a new mode of transport in Sri Lanka - the domestic aviation sector.

The demand has brought in several operators. SriLankan airline taxies which was halted have recommenced and are operating to over 10 destinations. The national airline is also hoping to add Arugam Bay on their radar next month.

In addition to the corporate sector and tourists, today it is also being used by the middle income segment because a one-way flight is less than Rs. 6,000.

For the first time in local history, companies are awarding prizes as Sri Lanka air taxi rides and Ceylinco took a lead in this area flying winners.

This pattern is also being followed by Air Force Heli tours. The passenger arm of Air Force has even gone to the extent of operating scheduled flights to Trincomalee and is now contemplating to flying to former LTTE air strips.

The demand for Heli tours has prompted them to open a plush office in Colombo 3 and they are also offering an airline from Colombo airport to Ratmalana.

A new Sea plane landing port too is being built near Ja ela so that international travellers from Colombo airport could use highway travel to Ja ela and then take an air taxi, thus cutting down on travel time.

A private operator Decaan Aviation too has intensified operations adding luxuries on the flight. CEO/Director of Deccan Aviation Lanka, Denham said that with the demand Deccan Aviation now has 250 established helipads all over Sri Lanka and this number is increasing by the day.

Deccan Aviation is the first and only helicopter and aircraft operator in Sri Lanka to have 250 established helipads in the country. He also said that Deccan pays a fee for the utilisation of the helipads which is a useful contribution to the rural community such as public schools, private land owners and municipal council grounds.

The domestic aviation sector would receive a major boost with the opening of a domestic airport in Katunayake.

The old SriLankan Airlines Catering building would be used for this purpose, conversion of the building to a domestic airport is currently under way. Mihin too has mulled operating domestic flights.

International Air travel was considered a luxury and was confined to the elite. Taking a flight within the country was considered like having a cell phone when it was introduced. However, this concept changed with the introduction of Sri Lanka's budget airline, Mihin Lanka.

It opened up a new segment of travel to pilgrims with people patronizing Dambadiva, Velankanni and Trirupathi. With its low fares the middle income group is now travelling on on easy pay systems offered to the government sector, thus enabling them to travel overseas.

Minister of Aviation Priyankara Jayaratne said that they have already received many positive inquiries from local airline investors about launching more domestic flights to Jaffna and Trincomalee. "We are currently evaluating these proposals," he said. The Minister said the Mahinda Chinthana clearly spells out that Sri Lanka would be made a regional aviation hub. To meet this objective domestic air travel is very important.

"A passenger can even now get a domestic flight from Ratmalana, but he has to travel for two hours to reach Ratmalana which is not practical. This was why the Government wanted to have a domestic passenger terminal within the Colombo airport" the Minister said.

Chairman Airport Aviation, Prasanna Wickramasuriya said that the Mattala airport would be ready by the end of next year, fulfilling a great void in the local aviation industry. The history of SriLankan Airline's would be rewritten by the end of next year, when passengers from all over the world would be able to fly direct to any destination in Jaffna, Trincomalee and Hambantota without landing at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Colombo. By next year, a passenger would be able to purchase a Toronto-Jaffna return ticket; an investor could book a Colombo-Hambantota return ticket; or a tourist would on-line print a Heathrow-Trincomalee return ticket taking the country towards being made the 'wonder of Asia'.