NEW DELHI: Mattala International Airport in southern Sri Lanka holds the dubious tag of being the arena's emptiest airport, although it remains an emergency exchange landing location for flights heading into Colombo International. Earlier this year the arena's largest airplane, the Antonov 225, refuelled there.
Now, in a bid to switch this, an Indian delegation is in Colombo to talk about a conceivable joint venture to operate the loss-making airport.
The Sri Lankan govt had in 2017 invited traders to turn the airport into a profit sharing joint venture. However, no proposals had been gained at that time to operate, manage and handle the airport.
India's solution to China: The airport is India's solution to Chinese domination and prohibit Beijing's influence in the island nation, albeit at a price tag of $300 million, as Colombo has leased the two,000 acre airport to India.
Strategic technique: Named after former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the $210 million white elephant was built via the Chinese in the former president's home district of Hambantota - the place the Chinese have already been granted the lease to the ocean port, after Sri Lanka expressed inability to pay off the Chinese loans for the mission.
Emptiest airport: The lack of flights to and from this airport has resulted in it being dubbed the arena's emptiest airport - with the only world flight operating out of Mattala halted in May this year due to routine losses and flight safety issues. The airport -- a five-hour, 250-kilometre (150-mile) power from the capital Colombo is situated inside of a natural world sanctuary and smack in the course of a migratory path for birds. Several airplane have hit birds because it opened in 2013 and two years in the past the army deployed masses of troops to clear deer, wild buffalo and elephant off the sprawling facility.
Now, in a bid to switch this, an Indian delegation is in Colombo to talk about a conceivable joint venture to operate the loss-making airport.
The Sri Lankan govt had in 2017 invited traders to turn the airport into a profit sharing joint venture. However, no proposals had been gained at that time to operate, manage and handle the airport.
India's solution to China: The airport is India's solution to Chinese domination and prohibit Beijing's influence in the island nation, albeit at a price tag of $300 million, as Colombo has leased the two,000 acre airport to India.
Strategic technique: Named after former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the $210 million white elephant was built via the Chinese in the former president's home district of Hambantota - the place the Chinese have already been granted the lease to the ocean port, after Sri Lanka expressed inability to pay off the Chinese loans for the mission.
Emptiest airport: The lack of flights to and from this airport has resulted in it being dubbed the arena's emptiest airport - with the only world flight operating out of Mattala halted in May this year due to routine losses and flight safety issues. The airport -- a five-hour, 250-kilometre (150-mile) power from the capital Colombo is situated inside of a natural world sanctuary and smack in the course of a migratory path for birds. Several airplane have hit birds because it opened in 2013 and two years in the past the army deployed masses of troops to clear deer, wild buffalo and elephant off the sprawling facility.
Why India is paying millions for world's emptiest airport
![Why India is paying millions for world's emptiest airport]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
July 05, 2018
Rating:
