Surcharge Those Responsible For Mattala Airport Cost
R.M.B Senanayake
Surcharge those responsible for the cost of the Mattala Airport – a colossal waste of public funds
The Mattala Airport is a colossal waste of public funds. It was estimated to cost US$ 210 million. It was entirely the idea and work of Mahinda Rajapaksa. There is no evidence that he consulted any technical officials in the airport and air navigation field.
Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) (also known as the Hambantota International Airport) (IATA: HRI, ICAO: VCRI) is an international airport serving the city of Hambantota in southeast Sri Lanka. Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport is Sri Lanka’s second international airport, after Bandaranaike International Airport. It is named after the Rajapaksa family. It is the newest airport in Sri Lanka.
Control Tower
The new international airport was expected to expand the local aviation industry whilst being a catalyst for the country’s economic development enabling international trade, tourism, vocational training and employment. It was being implemented as an eco-friendly project. The airport was estimated to cost US$210 million and, by the end of construction, will cover 2,000 hectares. It was built to be compatible with the latest Airbus A380 aircraft and has been designed according to recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization. According to Sri Lankan government officials, future domestic airline Air Hybrid, and international airlines Emirates, Enter Air, Etihad Airways, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and TUI showed interest in flying to Mattala, but none of these airlines confirmed these statements by government officials. Air Arabia, Rotana Jet, Airlines and Mihin Air did fly to Mattala at various times, but all cancelled service for commercial reasons. Flydubai is the only airline currently flying to Mattala.