Following developments in North:

Demand for air travel to Jaffna on the increase

Ramani KANGARAARACHCHI

S. Manoharan

The demand for the domestic airline to travel to Jaffna is on the increase with new developments in the north. Manoj Express Services jointly with Deccan Airline is prepared to increase the number of flights to and fro Jaffna shortly at competitive rates to meet this demand. Managing Director, Manoj Express Services S. Manoharan told Daily News Business.

He said there are about 9,000 people of various categories such as businessmen, tourists, NGOs, expatriates, government officials and the public travelling to Jaffna every month. The number of inquiries from businessmen, expatriates and tourists has also increased considerably which means we can expect a great deal of business once the war is over, he said.

Manoharan with Deccan charter fifty flights every month. “It is mere a service than a business because sometimes very poor people pawn their jewellery to pay for the tickets to transport dead bodies of relatives and attend funerals in Colombo.

We should be able to give some concessions to such people and make it more affordable. We hope to charter bigger aircraft in the future so passengers will benefit,” he said. Manoharan has been in the travel business for the last ten years and stepped into domestic airline services two years ago.

He has so far provided this service for over four hundred thousand passengers and transported a large number of parcels.

The cost of a return ticket to Jaffna is around Rs. 22,000 at present but it was only Rs. 6,500 a few years ago according to Manoharan.

There were three domestic airlines earlier but only two now. Decan and Expo are operational at present.