With a Second International Airport in place:

Sri Lanka, poised to master the skies

Dharma Sri Abeyratne

An airport is among the key requirements for the development of any country that ensures smooth operations in its air transportation system. Sri Lanka boasts an international Airport in Katunayake that has been taking the toll of heavy air traffic single handedly.

Although smaller airports supplemented home travel requirements up to now, with extraordinary future plans in progress Sri Lanka needs another airport to meet the influx of planned tourism and air travel as per Mahinda Chinthana development concepts for an emerging New Sri Lanka.

Changing the face of Sri Lanka

With expeditious development changing the face of Sri Lanka, to stand tall in the region and to reach millennium goals for the good of the country and its people, a second international airport is taking shape in the new frontier in Hambantota that is wilderness turned in to one of fastest developing territories in Asia at this given moment.

The world is watching with awe at the speed Sri Lanka is growing in economic, intellectual, spiritual and social sphere boasting up to the minute telecommunication systems in place linking the world.

Sri Lankan development and lion-spirit was undermined for three decades, mitigating growth. Now, with the terror brigades wiped off from its roots, unstoppable as it were, Sri Lanka is poised for the take off, in style.

A crying need

A second international airport has been a crying need for Sri Lanka. When there is a single international airport, they to fly with a huge quantity amount of fuel because in case of an emergency, be it bad weather conditions, terrorists activities or technical issues, flights would be diverted to the nearest airports in India.

Flights suffer a higher risk to come to the country with a solo international airport as they will have to fly back to the nearest airport in another country if the airport is not in operation for any given reason.

As a result of this situation, certain airlines are reluctant to commence operations to Sri Lanka due to the lack of a second international airport. This situation has resulted in filling the aircraft which operate to Sri Lanka with excessive amount of fuel.

On the other hand insurance premium for aircraft is also said to be high since Sri Lanka doesn’t have another international airport. This situation has become more costly.

Therefore not having another international airport is really a bottle neck for the development of the country.

Rapid development

Considering this situation, on the advice of President Mahinda Rajapaksa the Government took step to construct another international airport with immediate effect aiming to place the country on a rapid development track.

Fulfilling a long felt need of the country, the project to construct Sri Lanka’s second international airport at Mattala, Hambantota is under way. Hambantota International Airport (HIA)is being constructed on a 2,000 hectare bare land at a cost of US $ 209 million. In accordance with the rapid development activities in the country, the dream of having another international airport is now in the process of being realized.

Hambantota City Development

The project was launched by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday 27 November in 2009 in line with the Greater Hambantota City Development Program and the construction activities are now in full swing.

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

The airport will be geared to support international and domestic travel, air-sea cargo trans-shipment in conjunction with the Magampura port. Moreover the airport will be an alternative to the Bandaranaike International Airport. HIA is scheduled to be commissioned by mid 2012. After completing the first phase of the airport construction project the first flight will land in HIA by November 2012.

Construction meeting international standards

The construction work is carried out to meet international standards established in the airport and aviation industry such as ICAO specifications for Code 4F.

The construction project consists of two phases. The runway, which is being constructed under the first phase is 3,500 metres in length and 75 metres in width. It is large enough to operate any jumbo size aircraft such as A380 air-bus, the largest aircraft ever built.

Symbolize the dignity and heritage

A bare land which is badly affected by the scarcity of water has been selected as the construction site of the airport. Under the first phase 800 hectares of land has been acquired while under the second phase another 1,200 hectares of land will be further acquired.

Under the first phase basic aerodynamic facilities, runway, air traffic controlling tower, apron, taxiway, passenger and cargo terminals, access roads, accommodation for officials, fuel storages, sewerage treatment plant, water supply facilities, meteorological building, fire fighting facilities, buildings for catering facilities and car parks will be constructed.

Construction work is done so as to symbolize the dignity and heritage of the country. The controlling tower will be significant as it symbolizes a lotus flower said Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Ports and Aviation Deputy Minister.

Enhanced passenger transaction

At the second phase which will cover 1,200 hectares of land, all constructions of airport and aviation related facilities will be established. Under this, servicing and a repairing centre for aircraft, hotel and recreational facilities, a pilot training centre, maintenance hub, a private jet parking hub, technical training centres, a full length parallel taxiway and many more facilities will be completed.

After construction of the airport, it is expected to hold one million passenger transactions annually through the airport. Expected air cargo transaction rate per annum is 45,000 Mt. while the expected aircraft movements rate will be around 30,000 per annum.

The airport will provide around 2,000 direct employment and a considerable number of indirect employment opportunities. The Bandaranaike International Airport commenced operations four decades ago.

The country is facing numerous difficulties as the scarcity of another international airport. In that sense the construction of the second international airport is a historic and significant event. Finally the HIA and Hambantota harbour will be the air-sea cargo hub which will cater to any amount of cargo handling and passenger transactions, he said.

A dream realized

Various discussions were under way since 1939 during the regime of almost all governments aiming to construct another international airport. But those ideas were not fruitful until the present Government took steps to construct the second international airport at Mattala on the advice and the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

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, said K V P Ranjith De Silva, Secretary of the Ministry of Ports and Aviation.

The runway is large enough to operate any jumbo size aircraft such as A380 air-bus the largest aircraft ever built. The Government of the People’s Republic of China financially assists the project providing a soft loan facility.

Eco-friendly airport

The Airport will be constructed as an ‘eco-friendly airport’ minimizing the damage to the environment. Mattala, the place where the airport is built can be accessed easily from any part of the country via three main routes.

As project goals, the airport will eradicate poverty from the region while enhancing economic activities of the region. In addition the airport will create more direct and indirect employment opportunities which will directly enhance the living conditions of the community.

In line with the development project the infrastructure will also be improved, especially in the service sector such as hotel, health, food, tourism and much more. The airport will play a vital and supportive role in the development of the entire country while promoting the air-sea trans-shipment hub operation in conjunction with the Hambantota harbour.

HIA air routes link the world

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has recently approved the HIA as an International Airport which will be used for international air navigation.

Accordingly the ICAO has approved several air routes and destinations for airlines to touch down at HIA. In terms of the ICAO approval air links will be started from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, China, UK, Germany, Australia, Italy, Singapore, Korea, UAE, France, Bangkok, the Maldives and many other destinations and routes.

Safe and orderly growth

The ICAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations,which codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. The ICAO Council adopts standards and recommended practices concerning air navigation, its infrastructure, flight inspection, prevention of unlawful interference for international civil aviation.

The ICAO defines the protocols for air accident investigation followed by transport safety authorities in countries signatory to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, commonly known as the Chicago Convention.

The airport will create more direct and indirect employment opportunities which will directly enhance the living conditions of the community. In line with the airport development project, the infrastructure will also be improved, especially in the service sector like hotel, health, food and much more, the Secretary added.

Poised to dominate the skies

With significant rapid development streamlined under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the only leader of the nation who envisions beyond the ordinary, and aims high and hardly falls short, the maestro who orchestrates development par excellence, Sri Lanka is poised to take off and ride the crest over sea and dominate the skies.