Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews Oct 20, 2017 JAR The Sri Lankan government continues to search for a joint venture (JV) partner to expand the underused Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA). The JV has two main objectives: to boost trade in tourism in the southern and eastern provinces of the island; and pay off a loan to the Exim Bank of  China , which supported the construction of MRIA. An Expression of Interest in 2016 for developing and running MRIA – the second international airport in  Sri Lanka , alongside Bandaranaike International Airport serving the capital Colombo – received ..........Read more in Jane's

Jane's Airport Review Neelam Mathews Read full story on janes.ihs.com (subscription) Mattala Rajapaksala International Airport represents part of the island's bid to position itself as a tourism and cargo-handling destination For decades, Sri Lanka relied on a single international gateway at Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport. However, this airport has reached saturation point beyond its designed capacity of 6 million passengers per year, processing 7.32 million in 2013. 1565965 The first phase of Mattala Rajapaksala International Airport went operational in 2013. (Neelam Mathews)   "Sources at the airport indicate that AASL is in advanced discussions with Oman Air and held talks with AirAsia X. SriLankan CEO Kapila Chandrasena told  IHS Jane's  that he expects MRIA to become a hub for leisure traffic to the Maldives. The airline plans by 2015 to shift its narrowbody MRO operations from Bandaranaike International to a ne...

AIN AIR TRANSPORT PERSPECTIVE  »  APRIL 15, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Thanks to Chinese funding, Sri Lanka now has a second international gateway, Mattala Rajapaska International Airport, and Sri Lankan Airlines is among the first carriers to commit to operating there. (Photo: Sri Lankan Airlines) April 15, 2013, 2:15 PM Sri Lanka’s second international airport–the $200 million China Exim Bank-funded Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport ( MRIA )–opened last month and has already attracted national carrier SriLankan Airlines and its subsidiary, SriLankan Cargo; Sharjah-based budget carrier Air Arabia; and flyDubai. Emirates Airlines, Korean Airways and Sichuan Airlines all plan to start services soon, while British Airways and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways have also “committed” to establish a presence at  MRIA , located in the district of Hambantota, some 100 miles southeast of the capital, Colombo. Looking to attract ...

Neelam Mathews Jan 4, 2013 SriLankan Airlines is planning to establish an MRO at the upcoming Mattala airport, South of Sri Lanka to cater to the Asian region, including the Indian market. Cabinet approval has been given to obtain foreign financial assistance for the project. Sri Lanka's ministry of civil aviation has sought $80 million from the Exim Bank of China to build hangars and related facilities for the aircraft maintenance facility