SriLankan Air Taxi Float Planes Fly to Kandy World Cup Cricket Matches. Hambantota Sold out

28th February 2011, www.lankabusinessonline.com

SriLankan Airlines' says it has started a float plane service to Kandy to cover World Cup cricket matches at the Pallekelle grounds in Kandy in Central Sri Lanka.

The service will run from Colombo to the Victoria reservoir at 11.00 am on De Havilland Twin Otter aircraft on March 08, 10 and 14.

The 7,500 rupee offer has a return journey by bus, because matches end in the night, SriLankan Airlines said.

The airline said its flights to two matches in Hambantota in the south had been sold out.

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Sri Lanka to Open Skies with Permission to Operate Float Planes, Helicopters & Hot Air Balloons

08th October 2010, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka is to further liberalise its civil aviation sector and remove flying restrictions with the end of its ethnic war, an official said.

The private sector will be given more opportunities to operate hot air balloons, float planes and helicopters, the Civil Aviation Authority director-general H M C Nimalsiri said.

New civil aviation policy proposals have been sent to the aviation ministry and will be made public soon, he told Vimasuma.com, our sister news website.

"With the end of the war we have an opportunity to open up our air space further," he said.

"We have already approved the use of hot air balloons, and helicopter and float plane services by three companies. The new policy will aim to further liberalise these activities."

Previous efforts to remove flying restrictions were aborted owing to concerns that Tamil Tiger separatists might use aircraft for attacks.

But with the of the 30-year war in May 2009 that threat has been removed and a sharp upturn in tourist arrivals has generated more demand for domestic air transport.