(MENAFN- NewsIn.Asia) Colombo, Oct. 17 (newsin.asia) - Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, on Thursday opened Sri Lanka's third international airport, in the island's former war torn northern district of Jaffna, boosting air traffic between Jaffna and India's south indian cities.
The Jaffna International Airport was opened by President Sirisena, in the presence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Minister of Tourism Development and Wildlife, John Amaratunga, Minister of Civil Aviation and Transport, Arjuna Ranatunga and the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
A statement from the President's office said the Jaffna International Airport was constructed at an approximate cost of US 12 million dollars and it was funded by the governments of Sri Lanka and India.Following the official opening by President Sirisena on Thursday morning, a Bombardier ATR 72-600 aircraft of India's Alliance Air, landed on the newly constructed 950 meters runway making it the first foreign flight to land in the north after the launch.Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said the airport will be constructed in three phases and following more investments into the airport in the future, it will be able to accomodate larger flights such as the Airbus A320 size aircraft.Minister John Amaratunga said the opening of the third airport in the north will help boost air travel to all parts of the country and also strenghten tourism into many areas.Sri Lanka is aiming to attract 2 million tourists at the end of this year.
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