14°c Light rain showers
17°c Cloudy with showers
The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
Sri Lanka leader launches country's 2nd international airport
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa commissioned the country's second international airport on Monday, part of the island's bid to remake itself as a tourist destination after the end of a bitter civil war.
Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, named after the president, was officially opened in his native district of Hambantota, 165 kilometres (102 miles) southeast of the capital, Colombo.
After end of the war in 2009, Rajapaksa's government has invested heavily in infrastructure development, with special emphasis on his district. The $209 million airport is the third big recent infrastructure project in Hambantota after a seaport and an international cricket stadium. The government plans to promote Hambantota — which is close to a busy sea route — as a "sea air transshipment hub."
Built with a Chinese loan, the airport has an initial capacity of 1 million passengers a year. It can handle 30,000 aircraft movements and 45,000 metric tons of cargo annually.
The country's opposition has criticized the construction of both port and airport in Hambantota as a waste of money, saying they are not economically viable. Opposition lawmaker and Tissa Attanayake of the United National Party said the projects were built only to boost the image of Rajapaksa.
Sri Lanka's main international airport is the Bandaranaike International Airport just outside of Colombo.
Officials say the airport would cater to the growing tourism industry as it is located close to several rich wildlife and bird sanctuaries, heritage sites and also to beaches with year-round sunshine.
Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratn said one of the main reasons for build the airport in Hambantota was "the demand from the nation's leisure sector."
The government has set a target of wooing 2.6 million tourist arrivals to the country by 2016, up from the 1 million tourists who arrived last year.
The project covers 2.000 hectares and after a second phase it completed, the airport will be able to handle 5 million passengers a year and 150,000 metric tons of cargo. A date for the second phase has not been announced.
More Business
- Back to Top
- Return to Business
More Business
(1 of 50 articles for this week)
DOJ again asks NY appeals court to delay lifting age restrictions in morning-after pill case
05/24/2013 9:05 PM 0NEW YORK, N.Y. - Department of Justice lawyers filed court papers Friday again asking a federal appeals court to delay ...
Poll
Most Popular Business
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
- Value Partners cracks $1-B mark in assets
- Changes to CPP rules worth looking into
- New owner for lumber stores
- Canada threatens 'retaliatory measures' over new US meat labeling regulations
- Even a nine-year-old grills McDonald's CEO over menu
- Manitoba housing affordability deteriorates
- Wealth survey indicates average person has $6.6K
- Canada gets tablet
- Ottawa threatens 'retaliatory measures' over new U.S. meat labelling regulations
- New owner for lumber stores
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
- 2 men arrested in killing of Las Vegas teen who refused to give up his iPad
- New downtown tower could be 42 storeys tall: developers
- Creative industries can fuel a city's economic engine
- Microsoft reveals Xbox One as all-in-1 entertainment console, last of 3 major systems unveiled
- Value Partners cracks $1-B mark in assets
- Skyline-altering project will happen: developer
- Housing slowdown to worsen, cost 150,000 jobs, says mortgage group
- Bridging the gap
- Target opens its first Manitoba stores Tuesday
- New structure to be king of downtown?
- Transcona transformation
- Target opens Manitoba stores
- New owner for lumber stores
- Mounties say crooks passing fake polymer bank notes in British Columbia
- City to get a touch of glass
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
- Canad Inns property has personal meaning for owner
- Holiday pump jump debated
- Value Partners cracks $1-B mark in assets
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
- Changes to CPP rules worth looking into
- She's got entrepreneurial spirit
- Manitoba farm land values increased by an average of 4.3 per cent in 2011
- New owner for lumber stores
- Valeant shares soar amid report drug firm near $9B deal to buy Bausch and Lomb
- Thorough record-keeping key to power of attorney
- Motor Coach laying off 190 workers
- Will, power of attorney are different documents
- New owner for lumber stores
- Value Partners cracks $1-B mark in assets
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
- Ex-'Pegger seeks to grow local businesses
- Changes to CPP rules worth looking into
- Bridging the gap
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Skyline-altering project will happen: developer
- There are lots of I's in 'team'
- More than a new boss
- New owner for lumber stores
- Transcona transformation
- New structure to be king of downtown?
- CEO, execs terminated at TCIG
- Target opens its first Manitoba stores Tuesday
- Canad Inns property has personal meaning for owner
- Winnipeg's got the REIT stuff
- Older and jobless? Resource on hand
- Value Partners cracks $1-B mark in assets
- Local boy leads Great-West
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.