HIA ready for ‘takeoff’

Shirajiv Sirimane in Mattala

Sri Lanka’s second international airport, Hambantota International Airport, (HIA) is now ready for flights and it could accommodate the world’s biggest A380 aircraft. The communication tower which is a world’s first, constructed depicting a lotus is now ready with all the required communication equipment been installed. In addition the runway and the taxi way too has been completed ahead of schedule.

“Basically if there is an emergency in Colombo or for any other reason we have made provision for an aircraft to land in HIA,” said M Vithanage Project Engineer at HIA.

He said that the first test flight had successfully landed and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is now running other tests before finally issuing the ‘all go’ certificate.

Work on the planned passenger terminal with separate facility for domestic and a picturesque outdoor garden (Meda Midula) is 90 % complete while the cargo area too is 92 % complete. The fire and rescue section is completed along with back up power supplies and other essential infrastructure.

The authorities are now speeding up the access roads which also include a inter change.

Chairman Airport Aviation Services, Prassana Wickramasura said that several airlines have conformed their willingness to operate to HIA while both SriLankan and Mihin have also announced that they would operate flights via HIA. flydubai have announced an additional frequency to HIA while Qatar Airways, Emirates along with several other international airlines expressing interest to fly to HIA. “Charter flights too would use HIA frequently,” he said.

One of the leading airlines in Europe has also pledged to open a MRO centre which would bring additional revenue to the project.

“Our target is to complete the project by 2013 March and we are on our way to complete it,” he said.

The airport in its first stage estimated to cost US $ 209 million with a loan from Exim Bank of China would cater to one million passengers and 45, 000 Mt of cargo and under the second stage it would cater to six million passengers and 150,000 Mt. of cargo.

He also emphasized that brand new equipment had been installed at the HIA and no equipment was removed from BIA. He also stressed that they have no idea to temporally close Colombo airport.

“Sri Lanka is aiming at 2.5 million arrivals by 2016 and I am sure with the opening of HIA we could attract a further one million tourists,” he said.

He also said that modern features in security and many other areas would be put to use at HIA giving passengers more convenience. “Initially we will have two aero- bridges and this would be extended to 12 under the second phase,” he said.