Chennai traffic for Palaly, says DGCA
View(s):The Palaly Airport scheduled to be commissioned for international operations and declared open on October 15 is likely to receive flights in future from Chennai.
A controversial issue that centered on flights coming into the Northern airport was the fact that there would be no connection between Tamil Nadu and Jaffna, which is a key market.
However Director General Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka H.M.C. Nimalsiri told the Business Times that the two airlines that had been looked at the viability to fly into Jaffna “had indicated that they are willing to commence operations between Chennai and Jaffna and Chennai and Batticaloa”.
He noted that the gazettes are yet to be issued on welcoming international flights to airports in both these destinations.
Mr. Nimalsiri said that Air India and Alliance Air airlines’ officials were scheduled to arrive this week to carry out their assessment of the airport to ensure they could fly into the Northern airport.
Initially these two airlines have indicated they were looking at flying in about three times a week to Palaly. However, these need to be scheduled, the DG said.
He noted that they expect the schedules to come in from the winter as the switch over would happen in October after the conclusion of the summer season.
At the moment Fits Aviation has proposed to fly to Palaly that is currently awaiting Cabinet approval, Mr. Nimalsiri said.
The airport has been funded through monies allocated from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Fund (Rs.1050 million), the Civil Aviation Authority and the Airport and Aviation Services Ltd. (Rs.900 million), and the Indian government (US$2 million).
Once operational it could accommodate aircraft with the ability to fly in ATR72 or Q400 type aircraft with about 80 seats. (SD)