Jaffna International Airport (JIA) was opened by President Maithripala Sirisena in Palaly last week, opening a new development corridor to the North.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Northern Province Governor Dr. Suren Raghavan, TNA Parliamentarians Mavai Senadhirajahm, M.A. Sumanthiran and many guests including military heads witnessed the event. Following its commissioning, a plane belonging to Alliance-Air of India made the first international flight from Chennai. It also symbolised the upcoming flight schedule between Jaffna and Chennai.
Alliance-Air, a subsidiary of Air India is due to operate seven flights to JIA per week from next month. In the first phase of the Rs. 20 billion JIA development project, it will only accommodate twin-engine turboprop aircraft such as ATR 72 which could carry about 70 passengers. In phase two, the runaway will be extended up to 2.3 km from 1.4 km enabling larger jet aircraft to land.
The first phase enables the operation of international flights between short-distance destinations such as Chennai, Bengaluru and other South Indian cities. Under the second phase, the airport will be able to navigate bigger planes such as A320 jets, enhance the flight network of JIA to medium-distance destinations such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. The third phase aims to develop JIA to the same level as the Bandaranaike and the Mattala Rajapaksa International airports.