The construction work on the second international airport will commence on November 27 at Mattala, Hambantota.
Ports and Aviation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa said the new airport will be constructed on a 2,000 hectare bare lan
d in Hambantota district at a cost of US $ 200 million.The Government of the People’s Republic of China will financially assist the project providing a soft loan facility. The construction comes under two phases. At the first phase all basic facilities and requirements will be completed including runaway, taxiways and parking facilities.
At the first phase, initial construction would cover an extent of 800 hectares of land. At the second phase all other work, airport and aviation related facilities will be established such as servicing and repairing centre for aircraft, hotels, pilot training centre, maintenance hub, private jet parking, technical training centres and many more facilities will be completed.
The second phase will cover 1,200 hectares.
The construction will be carried out so as to meet the international standards such as ICAO specifications for Code 4F. The runway is 3,500 metres in length and 75 metres in width.
The construction of the first stage has been scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011 when the airport will be commissioned. As scheduled the first flight will land by December 2011. The runaway is large enough to operate any jumbo size aircraft such as the A380 airbus the largest aircraft ever built.
“The Bandaranaike International Airport commenced operations four decades ago. The country is facing much difficulties as there isn’t another international airport.
Normally international airlines ask the country whether another international airport is available which can be used as an alternative before they begin operations. We can overcome that barrier and many international airlines will start operations to Sri Lanka,” Airport and Aviation Services Limited Chairman Prasanna J. Wickramasuriya said.
The airport will be constructed as an ‘eco-friendly airport’ minimising damage to the environment. Mattala the place where the airport is built can be accessed easily from any place of the country via three main routes.
The airport will play a vital and supportive role in the development of the entire country while promoting the air-sea transshipment hub operation in conjunction with the Hambantota harbour, the Minister Rajapaksa added.
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