AASL initiates ground handling services at Colombo airport

Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited (AASL) initiated ground handling services at airports for the first time in history at the Colombo International Airport, Ratmalana (CIAR) last week. 

Aruna Rajapaksha, Manager of CIAR stated that the first ground handling service was carried out for a commercial aircraft that arrived from the Maldives at 11.45 a.m. last Thursday. 

Earlier, Sri Lankan Airlines operated the ground handling services at CIAR. Even if, the AASL has been delegated the power for this purpose by the Act, it has not been carried out. AASL decided to carry out ground handling services at CIAR with the guidance of Minister of Tourism, Prasanna Ranathunga, and State Minister of Aviation and Export Zone Development, D.V. Chanaka.

Scheduled international flights at CIAR commenced from Sunday onwards and AASL is carrying out ground handling services for those flights as well. These scheduled flights are operated between Colombo and Maldives. International flight operations at Colombo International Airport, Ratmalana (CIAR) resumed after a break of 55 years.