SRI Lanka’s second international airport, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, will open in Hambantota on March 18, with a number of airlines already firming up plans for flights.
Air Arabia is set to operate twice weekly services between Sharjah and Mattala, and will increase frequency to four times weekly on May 19. National carrier SriLankan Airlines as well as LCCs Fly Dubai and Mihin Lanka have also confirmed flights.
The government is also offering an open skies policy and concessions, such as a 50 per cent discount on groundhandling charges for five years, in a bid to attract international carriers.
According to Priyankara Jayaratne, minister for civil aviation, there are ongoing discussions with Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Sichuan Airlines and Korean Air.
Located in the south of Sri Lanka, the airport will open with a capacity of one million passengers, lowering the curtains on the first phase of development. Unlike Colombo’s international airport, Mattala can accommodate Airbus A380 landings.
Jayaratne said construction for the second phase would begin in a few years, which would increase capacity to five million passengers annually.
Separately, British Airways will resume flights to Colombo via the Maldives on April 14 after a 10-year absence in the country (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 14, 2012).
