Grand opening of the Mattala Airport on Monday
Sri Lanka’s much publicised and controversial second international airport, which was constructed at a cost of US$220 million at Mattala will be officially opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday.
The opposition’s claim that the project exceeded the estimated cost of $220 million by $80 million was yesterday rejected by Civil Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne.
The ‘Aeronautical Service Provider Safety Certificate’, which is an essential prerequisite for the operation of an international airport was handed over to Airport and Civil Aviation Services Company Chairman Prasnna Wickramasuriya by Civil Aviation Services Authority Chairman Rohan Daluwatta.
Minister Jayaratne told a media conference that so far only Air Arabia, the national car
rier SriLankan and Sri Lanka’s budget airline Mihin Lanka had pledged to use the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport. He said discussions were underway with the Emirates and Qatar Airlines to use Mattala Airport for their international operations.
“Mattala Airport is not an experiment. We need a second international airport to cater to the rapid-
Only Air Arabia, SriLankan Airlines and Sri Lanka’s budget airline Mihin Lanka have pledged to use the airport
ly increasing air services and passenger demand because BIA is unable to handle the overload. Sri Lanka expects two and a half million tourists by 2020 and our target is to make Sri Lanka an air transport hub in Asia,” the minister said. The passenger capacity at the Mattala Airport will be increased to five million and that at the BIA to 20 million by 2015 once the second and third phases of the two international airports have been completed.
The minister pooh-poohed the suggestion by a section of the opposition that the government would close down BIA temporarily during the opening of the Mattala Airport. He asked if that was so what would be the fate of the thousands of passengers arriving at the BIA. ‘The Mattala International airport will bring a new era to Sri Lanka and to the residents of the Southern, Uva, Central, Eastern and Sabaragamuwa provinces because these provinces border the airport. After President Rajapaksa arrives at Mattala on Monday aboard a SriLankan flight from the BIA, an Air Arabia flight from the United States via Dubai will touch down as the inaugural international flight to land at Mattala.