Colombo, February 23 Sri Lanka is planning to expand the Jaffna International Airport with the aim of accommodating a higher volume of foreign tourist arrivals into the country and providing services to tourists in the North, officials said.
Civil Aviation Minister Anura Karunathilake said that by expanding the airport, the government hopes to develop the northern province's economy with more people touring the region.
"Currently, only flights with limited seating capacity could land at Palaly. We hope to develop the runway to land bigger passenger flights," the minister said.
The project to expand the passenger terminal aims to accommodate a higher volume of foreign tourist arrivals into the country and provide services to tourists in the North.
Karunathilaka said that the first phase of the project is already underway, with the second phase expected to commence by June this year and is scheduled for completion by July next year, NewsFirst reported.
The Jaffna International Airport at Palaly has 10 international flights operating weekly from Chennai and Trichy. They are all ATR 72 category 70 seater flights, the airport’s operations office said.
The Jaffna International Airport, formerly known as the Palaly Airport, was established by the British Armed Forces on 359 acres of land in Palaly, with its first flight to India taking place on 10 December 1947.