Mattala airport shut down?

by Rohana Jayalal

The Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport was incurring major loses and the government finding it was costly, the Airport was shut down since Wednesday, March 4 2015 night. Minister of Ports, Naval and Aviation Services Arjuna Ranatunga said.

The Minister told a news conference after Engaging in an observational tour of the Ratmalana Airport.that the decision was made since the Mattala airport did not generate an income to the State.

Certain sections of the Mattala Airport must be closed down and intends to identify investors in a bid to develop the Mattala Airport.

"We are having discussions to close Mattala Airport during the night. The Government has to spend about Rs. 250 million for maintenance. This maintenance has to be done at the cost of our taxpayers," Ranatunga was quoted as saying by the media.

Aviation Minister Arjuna Ranatunga said that the government would take steps to put the unused airport to proper use in a different area of interest as it needed to earn to pay the loan interest which is around 2 billion rupees a year, in addition to 250 million rupees for maintenance.

The MRIA was constructed by the previous Government using millions of dollars taken on loan from China. The national carrier SriLankan Airlines in January decided to stop all flights to Mattala as operating flights to the second international airport in the former president's home constituency of Hambantota were a huge drain on the already heavily debt-laden carrier.

However the government is yet to announce its official stance on whether the airport would be completely shut down. However the Minister said they had no intentions to shut down the Airport completely. 'The airport will not be shut down completely. We are keeping it to be used if needed, he said. We are having discussions with investors either to use it as a workshop hangar or to do aircraft maintenance'.