Ratmalana Airport’s new apron, taxiway opens on Sunday

The new apron, taxiway and access road constructed at the Colombo International Airport, Ratmalana(CIAR) spending Rs.220 million will be opened on March 27.

This is one of major infrastructure development projects carried out at the CIAR with the aim of bringing the airport to the optimum operational capacity by maximum utilization of existing resources.

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said the apron capacity and runaway efficiency will be increased by 75 percent after the development.

He said that the Ratmalana International Airport is scheduled to resume its international flights from March 27 after 55 years. Fits Air, a Sri Lankan private airline and a Maldivian airline, have already agreed to this, the Minister said.

The Ratmalana International Airport is planned to be popularized as a new destination for low cost flights. The Minister said that the potential of the Ratmalana airport for such regional operations has been identified and the Civil Aviation Authority and the Airport and Aviation Company have invested funds in this regard.

Improvements to the terminal building, repair to the runway, reconfiguration to the aerodrome for the use of corporate jet traffic would be done as a short-term development project of the Ratmalana Airport. The New Air Route Traffic Control Tower will also be set up at the airport.