Mattala opens its skies to the world
Sri Lanka’s second international airport will finally unveil tomorrow amidst a flurry of last minute regulatory preparations and flights scheduled to land especially for the event. The airport was constructed at a cost of US$209 million. Airport and Aviation Authority Chairman Prasanna Wickramasuriya speaking with the Business Times said flights at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) would be operated by FlyDubai and Air Arabia from the first day itself.
He noted that tomorrow’s opening day programme would commence at around 9.00am with President Mahinda Rajapaksa in attendance in addition to other special invitees from international airlines, International Air Transport Association (IATA) and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) representatives, a special Chinese envoy among other ambassadors, and industry personalities. A delegation from Emirates Airlines will include Al Redha, Emirates Executive Vice President of Engineering and Operations and Adnan Kazim, Divisional Senior Vice President, Planning and Research will represent the airline at the event and will use the occasion to meet with the country’s aviation sector policymakers, an airline release stated. However, the carrier has not scheduled any flights to the Mattala airport. Meanwhile, a SriLankan Airlines flight from Dubai bringing in about 100 passengers originating from the US destined for Mattala, especially for the occasion, is scheduled to arrive between 11.00am and 12.00noon on the opening day, the airline said. This group was organised by the Sri Lankan embassy in the US.
Via Mattala, SriLankan Airlines will operate four flights to Male, two to Riyadh, two to Beijing, one to Shanghai; and both Beijing and Shanghai flights will fly via Bangkok. In total there will be a minimum of about 10 departures and 10 arrivals per week, the airline said.
In the meantime, officials were providing last minute regulatory certifications just days prior to the airport opening.
Officials also confirmed that some equipment from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) had been transferred to Mattala for use at the new airport, however, without causing any disruption to services at the country’s main airport.
The new airport would comprise 12 check-in counters for passengers and 10 counters each for immigration at arrival and departure, officials said.
Bank of Ceylon and Sampath Bank will operate on the first day with two ATMs as well. However, there would be no duty free facility on the opening day on the other
hand; a restaurant operated by SriLankan Catering will be functioning.
Around 500 personnel from the Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka would be working on a roster basis at the new airport. They have been transferred voluntarily from the BIA.
Housing is being constructed for those recruited to work at the airport arriving from Colombo for which about 10 units have been completed already, officials said.
Currently, those working at the airport are provided rented out houses within the locality during their stay in Mattala.
The Immigration and Customs Departments have found housing for their employees through the Urban Development Authority (UDA).
In the meantime, most of the operational work in terms of security, fire, and airport management’s support services were filled by those in the Hambantota District, officials explained.
It was also observed that in the future a new Transit Hotel will be established at the airport as part of a joint venture between the Nawaloka Group and Air Arabia, officials said.
In preparation for the opening day, an all night pirith chanting ceremony was conducted at the Mattala airport on Saturday in addition to providing alms to Buddhist clergy on Sunday morning and again on Monday afternoon for monks representing their different sects from around the country.
Officials at the Mattala airport, said that equipment at the new airport were obtained from several countries namely fire- fighting from Austria, chairs from China and the control tower equipment from France.
A number of students from the areas were accommodated on visits to the new Mattala airport ahead of the opening day.