SriLankan Airlines cancels flights to Mattala with immediate effect

SriLankan Airlines has cancelled operating flights to the Hambantota International Airport at Mattala with immediate effect, officials said on Friday. The flights were cancelled from yesterday, Thursday.

"This is because the official carrier is losing massive amounts of money by operating flights to this new airport built at a cost of Rs. 27 billion in an area of 2,000 hectares by the previous regime,” an Aviation Ministry official said.

The move comes after expected changes at the national carrier following President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s defeat at the polls. His brother-in-law Nishantha Wickramasinghe who was airline chairman has already resigned.

The official said that Mattala is a white elephant and that few are using the airline from Mattala. He added that they haven't taken a decision on Mihin Lanka, while industry sources say that Flydubai and Rotana Jet carriers that are using the Mattala Airport will also stop flights there when the national carrier stops flights. SriLankan flies to Beijing, Shanghai, Chennai, Jeddah, Male and Colombo from Mattala. - ENDS -