- sashimaalTop contributor
- Posts : 5785
Join date : 2014-02-28
Ratmalana to become third int’l airport
An official from the Transport and Civil Aviation Ministry said the first flight to the Maldives airport will fly out from Ratmalana operated by maldivian Airlines. It will also offer connections to China, Dhaka, Bangkok and Chennai making Ratmalana the third Sri Lanka airport after Colombo and Mattala to offer connections.
maldivian Airlines will operate a 60 seater D8 aircraft for this operation. The Airport and Aviation Authority has also looked at the runway and other facilities and have approved the safety standards at the Ratmalana airport.
He said Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva was working to revive the Ratmalana airport and negations were going on with Maldivan government as well as the Air Force in this regard. He said Maldivian Civil Aviation Minister Moosa Sameer was also in Colombo last week and the final MOU in this regard will be inked next week.
“We have now taken the entire control of the airport from the Air Force and it will a commercial airport now.” He said the second terminal building that was idling is also being refurbished.
New Customs, Immigration counters, new fire engines, aviation fuel filling facilities, medical facilities, cafeterias and all other international facilities will be introduced within the next two weeks. “We would also have facilities for six duty free shops and are keen to offer it to the private sector immediately.”
The Minister is now negotiating with an Indian government airline and also a private operator to explore the possibility of launching Indian flights to new destinations from Ratmalana.
He said that Ratmalana will also be the only airport in Sri Lanka where a passenger will be able to get a connection to Jaffna via Heli Tours which operates from Ratmalana “This will also entice private operators which already have hangars in Ratmalana to begin their operations with international flights coming in.”
He said that it took less than Rs.10 million to convert Ratmalana from a domestic airport to an international one. “The main aim was to promote tourism and charter flights too will be entertained at Ratmalana.”
- කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වාTop contributor
- Posts : 9679
Join date : 2014-02-23
Age : 66
Location : රජ්ගම
Re: Ratmalana to become third int’l airport
(If Galle road stretch can be made as an underpass, the existing runway can be further extended to facilitate bigger aircraft to land / take off and further only permit approach from the sea to cut down the noise pollution too).
_________________
I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.
Socrates
- WasteofTime
- Posts : 271
Join date : 2014-09-29
Re: Ratmalana to become third int’l airport
Making Ratmalana an international airport to receive larger planes may re strict high rise building in Colombo.
SriLankan airline may lose passengers if all Maldivians use their or China flights to Colombo.
- කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වාTop contributor
- Posts : 9679
Join date : 2014-02-23
Age : 66
Location : රජ්ගම
Re: Ratmalana to become third int’l airport
_________________
I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.
Socrates