Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport awarded International Airport Certification
President Mahinda Rajapaksa will commission Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport on March 18. This is the second International Airport in Sri Lanka and the first ever Sri Lankan International Airport to be operated as an International Airport ‘from the day of commencing operations’, Civil Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne said.
He was addressing a special press briefing at the Civil Aviation Ministry yesterday in connection with awarding International Airport Certification (certifications of compliance and certification of aerodrome) to the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport. Minister Jayaratne said the BIA commenced operations in 1963, but received international status in 1968.
The Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport will be an International Airport from the first day of commencing operations.
This airport is not an experiment. It is a significant landmark in the journey of Sri Lanka towards becoming the aviation hub in Asia under Mahinda Chinthanaya – Vision for the Future.
The airport has a one million passenger handling capacity.
Minister Jayaratne pointed out that the second phase of the development project will commence after March 18 which will give a handling of nine million passenger capacity by June 2015. After completion of its second phase, the Mattala international airport will handle five million passengers.
Once all development projects are completed, Sri Lanka’s International Airports will have the capacity of handling 21 million passengers annually.
Minister Jayaratne stressed that when the LTTE attacked the BIA, Sri Lanka lost billions of rupees due to flights being rerouted to India because Sri Lanka did not have another International Airport.
A similar situation will not arise hereafter.
Sri Lanka signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lufthansa to set up a aircraft maintenance centre. This would bring a significant amount of income to Sri Lanka.
“The Opposition always saw the entire project from a negative point of view and made fun out of it. It did not stop there. They even tried to create religious conflicts in connection with expanding project.
The opposition spread fabricated stories stating that the Government will close down the BIA,” the Minister added.
“The Sri Lanka Civil Aviation Authority is in 19 place among 181 countries in the world, fourth place among 34 countries in the Pacific region and first place in South Asia, in it capability and carrying out its services/duties.
The certificates had been awarded to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport after conducting careful study for over two years on all functions, operations and human resources of the airport, connected institutions and services.
The Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport is capable of handling any emergency situation.
Civil Aviation Deputy Minister Geethanjana Gunawardena, Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary Dr. Ravindra Ruberu, Sri Lankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickremesinghe, Civil Aviation Authority Chairman Gen. Rohan Daluwatte, Civil Aviation Director General H.M.C.Nimalsiri, Airport and Aviation Services Chairman Prasanna Wickramasuriya also spoke.
(Courtesy: Daily News)
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Well Done! Congratulations! and Thanks!
May be there are many unsavory things being said about this government and the have done some as well. But all those are in common with most of the other past SL governments and foreign ones too. But the current one had given some good things to SL the others haven’t.
Please get the Fort railway station too modernised sir, that is a national shame.
As a man from the deep South, I get that ‘Top of the World’ feeling when visiting my home town Tangalle now.I can remember well how we went on pilgrimage to Kataragama as late as early 1950,when we had to walk from Tissamaharama to Kataragama, a distance of about 14 miles because there were no tarred roads suitable for buses. Thank you President Sir,You have made our Dreams come true!
An elephant ran amok on the road leading to the mattala Rajapaksa International Airport killing an innocent citizen.
Imagine an elephant on the runaway when a jumbo jet is landing (especially when it is fuul of members of a Presidential entourage).
The Environmental Impact Statement prior to the commencement of this project identified the land allocated as a nature reserve and stated the impact of the project on fauna and flora. The administrators conviniently ignored this advice.
Occupation of tamil homelands appears to be the order of the day (now that the tigers have been felled in the humanitarian war) but occupation of animal homelands will bring out a fierce reception.
Good Work!!!.
Dear Mr.President,
Time to invite all the budget airlines operates around Asia and other countries as well.
Use this GOLDEN opportunity for raise tourism in the country. Utilize maximum resources for introducing high speed train back to Colombo.
Kudos!!!