Sri Lanka's Mattala Airport Starts Cargo Operations with First Shipment to Chennai, India

27th March 2013, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka's second international airport in Mattala, has started cargo operations, with exporters offered a 10 percent discount, state-run SriLankan Airlines said.

The first 900 kilograms of cargo made up garment accessories left for Chennai.


SriLankan Airlines said cargo from Mattala will get a 10 percent discount and carriage to Colombo was 20 US cents a kilogram.

Mattala has a 5,000 square meter terminal.

The Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport opened last week.

Sri Lanka's Mattala Airport Promoted at Travel Trade Show Berlin ITB. Number of Sri Lankan Travel & Tour and Hotel Firms Take Part in the Trade Fair

06th March 2012, www.dailynews.lk, By Shirajiv Sirimane

For the first time the Mattala International Airport would be marketed at the Travel Trade Show Berlin (ITB) as a strong team from the Aviation Authority is attending it. In addition a strong Sri Lankan contingent would be participating at the ITB which will begin tomorrow in Berlin, Germany. Speaking to Daily News Business, Airports and Aviation Services Limited (AASL), Chairman Prasanna Wickramasuriya said “ITB is the world's leading travel trade show and we intend to market passenger, cargo, courier and charter segments of the Mattala International Airport in Germany and other international markets in general through this year's ITB in Berlin.”

Travel and tourism accounts for 258 million jobs globally. At US $ 6 trillion (9.1% of GDP) the sector is a key driver for investment and economic growth and at a global level. It is larger than the automotive industry at 8% GDP, and just smaller than banking at 11%.

Raimund Hosch, CEO Messe Berlin GmbH, will welcome around 4,500 international industry representatives at the opening event.

Among those due to speak are Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Klaus Laepple, President of the German Tourism Industry (BTW).


Mounir Fahkri Abdel Nour, the Egyptian Minister for Tourism, will speak on behalf of Egypt, the partner country of ITB. “Our key challenge in the industry is to stimulate jobs and investment, eliminating barriers to travel such as visa restrictions, taxation, and outmoded infrastructure systems.

I am confident that these issues will be addressed at Europe's premier travel trade fair - ITB Berlin. It is the key place to learn about new trends, market developments, and to deepen existing business relations,” he said.

The following companies would participate in the event:

Airwing Tours, Aitken Spence Travels (Pvt) Ltd, Amaya Leisure PLC, Andrew the Travel Company (Pvt) Limited, Asian Adventures, Asian Exotica Ltd, Asian Wings, Barberyn Ayurveda Resorts, CCC Solutions (Pvt) Limited, Ceylon Tea Trails (Pvt) Ltd, Ceylon Tours Limited, Citrus Leisure PLC, Colombo Fort Hotels Limited, Columbus Tours Pvt Ltd, Connaissance De Ceylan Pvt Ltd, Crystal Holidays (Pvt) Ltd, Eco Team (Pvt) Ltd, Get Into Lanka Travels and Tours (Pvt) Ltd, Goldi Sands Hotels Limited, Hawk Travels Pvt Ltd, Hayleys Tours, Heritage Expediciones (Pvt) Ltd, Hilton Colombo, Hotel Clarion, JF Tours and Travels, Jetwing Hotels Ltd, Jetwing Travels, JourneyScapes (Pvt) Ltd, Koggala Beach Hotel, Lanka Holidays.net, Lanka Sportreizen, Let's Travels (Pvt) Ltd, LOLC Leisure, Mahaweli Reach Hotel, Mandara Hotels and Rosen Tours, Mount Lavinia Hotel / Club Bentota, NKAR Travels and Tours (Pvt) Ltd, Oasis Ayurveda, Orient Tours, Pigeon Island Beach Resort, Ramada Colombo, Serendib Leisure Management Limited, Serene Pavillion (Pvt) Ltd, Siddhalepa Ayurveda Health Resort, Sunway Holidays, Taj Hotels - Sri Lanka, Tangerine Group of Hotels, Tangerine Tours Ltd, Taprospa Spa's and Resort and Mackwood Travels, The Blue Water, The Fortress, Uga Resorts and United Holidays (Pvt) Ltd, and Walkers Tours Limited.


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Colombo International Airport to Receive 6mn Passengers by 2018. New Hambantota International Airport in Southern Sri Lanka to Open for Commercial Flights from November

18th January 2012, www.dailynews.lk, By Shirajiv Sirimane

The Colombo International Airport would be upgraded to cater for six million passengers by 2018. This is a 100 percent increase.

Airport Aviation Services Chairman Col. Prasanna Wickramasuriya said that this includes over one million passengers using the Hambantota International Airport (HJA) as well.

He also said that the HIA construction work is on track and the new airport runway testing would start from October and would be open for commercial flights form November.

“The second stage of the HIA project is to be completed by 2018,” he said.

Wickramasuriya said that initially they would target the charter operation and subsequently attract budget airlines to operate to HIA. “With tourism booming many airlines have requested for additional frequencies and we are planning to divert them to HIA,” he said.

HIA has allocated a large space for a proposed duty free shopping complex for the airport and they expect this would bring in a special ‘shopping’ clientele similar to Singapore.

He also disclosed that investors have expressed interest to set up a publishing zone in Mattala.

SriLankan Airlines will look at rerouting some of their European and Gulf flights through the Hambantota International Airport (HIA) from next November CEO, Kapila Chandrasena said.

He said that their plan is to have a stop over in HIA so that passengers could have the option of disembarking in Mattala while passengers too could take connections to Colombo.

“Similarly we are also looking at operating the Male transit market from the proposed Mattala Airport,” he said.

The national carrier will also handle the ground handling and catering services of the new airport. “The handling rates would be definitely more competitive than the Colombo Airport,” he said.

While spelling out plans to have an extension arm of their engineering wing at HIA he said that they will soon sign up to get a second A330 simulator for pilot training.

SriLankan, which is expected to strengthen their air taxi services with two additional aircraft, is to build an air taxi hub in Bandagirlya Tank in Mattala. This would be a five-minute drive from the HIA and a four-lane highway would connect it to the airport.

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Main Road Work Begins at Mattala Airport, Sri Lanka's Second International Airport

13th May 2010, www.news.lk

Construction work on the main access route to the Mattala Airport has commenced.
The construction was launched under the patronage of the Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa and Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa.

The main road will have six lanes. The first stage will be 13 kilometers from Mattala to Kataragama via Lunugamvehera. A programme is also planned for the planting of “Na” plants on either side of the road.

Sri Lanka's Mattala International Airport to be Ready in 2012. Hambantota Airport will be an Alternative to BIA, Colombo

30th March 2010, www.news.lk

Authorities expect the first aircraft to land in the Mattala international airport in the year 2012, Ranjith de Silva, Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation told www.news.lk today.

According to the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation, 8,000 acres have been set apart for the country's second international airport and preliminary work on the 3.5 kilometre runway is already underway.

He said plans are afoot to launch training programmes for youth who will be the potential employees of the airport. Once completed, this project will create 2,000 direct and 5,000 indirect employment opportunities.

The new airport will be a boon to the local aviation industry while being a catalyst for the economic development of the southern province through the enabling of international trade, tourism, vocational training and employment.

The new airport will be geared to support both international and domestic travel, air-sea cargo transshipment in conjunction with the Hambanthota sea port and will be the alternative to BIA. It will be ready for operations in 2012.

The project will be carried out under two stages of development.

'Stage I - Initial Development' will include Basic Aerodrome Facilities, Runway, Apron, Taxi way, Passenger and Cargo Terminals.

It will also have Access roads, accommodation for officials, fuel farm, sewerage treatment plant, water supply facilities, meteorological building, fire building, catering facility and car park.

'Stage II - Second Stage Development' will include a full length parallel Taxi way, a flying school, an airport hotel and recreational facilities.

Hambantota Magampura Port (Harbour) on Google Maps

Sri Lanka's Second Intl Airport, Construction Begins at Mattala, Hambantota

20th November 2009, www.dailynews.lk, By Dharma Sri Abeyratne and Ishara Mudugamuwa

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 land 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.