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Transport Ministry says grateful to MRIA

2 November 2015 10:42 pm - 36     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation yesterday said that SriLankan Airlines enjoyed fuel savings and payload gains by diverting its flight UL 230 to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) instead of diverting it to Trivandrum, Chennai or Male due to heavy foggy conditions around the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

UL 230 from Kuwait to BIA with 253 passengers and 14 crew members on board was diverted to the MRIA last morning.

The Transport Ministry said the passengers had also been thankful to the MRIA since they had the convenience of landing within the territory of Sri Lanka instead of landing in India or the Maldives.

“Previously, southern Indian airports and Male were the options for emergency landing – now the alternative has become the MRIA. This is the second incident where flights on their way to BIA were diverted to the MRIA due to bad weather conditions. Though the MRIA was criticized by some parties, these incidents are good examples that showed the benefits of the MRIA,” the ministry official said. (Piyumi Fonseka)

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  Comments - 36

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  • wick Tuesday, 03 November 2015 10:20 AM

    H,thota comes under mega city plan and Mattala will be very useful.Now what it needs to do is promote more and more investments to this area rather than attention to Colombo which has extremely compact now.Then most problems solved.

    KaluSudha Tuesday, 03 November 2015 09:23 AM

    That was done earlier!!!!

    Dee Tuesday, 03 November 2015 09:32 AM

    Fuel almost same. Mattala or triv. I guess part of the ground fee would have been same. But still mria is no justification for emergency landing.

    Madlin Tuesday, 03 November 2015 09:40 AM

    Do we need an international airport only for emergency landings. In future we need to get the Transport Minister and his team to take off from Mattala and land then travel by road. These fellows think the voters arw idiots to accept what they say. via DM Android App

    Keerthi Dissanayake Tuesday, 03 November 2015 09:44 AM

    I have made a very comprehensive report soon after MRIA was officially declared open for international tarffic by the former President ,on fuel savings and payload gained by all scheduled Internatioanl airlimes, particularly Sri Lankan Airlines flights, coming into BIA,Katunayake by namimg MRIA as the alterante landing airport in the Flight Plan,instead of Madras or Male. The report also contained recommendations on how to market the Mattala Airport to attract Intenational Flights to bring passengers/cargo

    lkboy Tuesday, 03 November 2015 09:49 AM

    Lets rename it: Mattala International Diversion Airport

    Labby Tuesday, 03 November 2015 09:54 AM

    This is typical from Nimal Siripala the cardboard Sando.

    indi Tuesday, 03 November 2015 10:04 AM

    Piyumi, How many diversions per year or month. airports are not maintained for couple of diversions per period. couple of diversions still more profitable if diverted to india or male. i am from airline industry.

    Raj Tuesday, 03 November 2015 10:13 AM

    Russian plane which crashed in Egypt had only 7 crew members for 217 passengers. This flight has 14 crew members for 253 passengers!! Is it called inefficiency??

    TONY Tuesday, 03 November 2015 09:06 AM

    THERE IS ALSO THE RATMALANA AIR PORT WHICH WAS OUR INTL AIRPORT BEFORE BIA

    Chanz Tuesday, 03 November 2015 10:52 AM

    Having a 2nd airport is an advantage. It should have been only a run way. If we had a good runway with minimum infratructure it would have been better. What we see here is a massive airport with all facilities when we do not have such a demand.

    jolly bird Tuesday, 03 November 2015 11:08 AM

    BETTER TO RE NAME IT AS SOS LANDING AIRPORT via DM Android App

    patriot Tuesday, 03 November 2015 11:17 AM

    The present minister who was an ardent supporter of MR then makes these statements which have no basis at all. Minister is trying to fool the people by making baseless statements..

    jolly bird Tuesday, 03 November 2015 11:29 AM

    SINCE THE INCEPTION OF MRIA HOW MANY FLIGHT HAVE BEEN DIVERTED TO MATALA SO FAR ONLY A FEW SO DOES IT NEED BOASTIN via DM Android App

    chris pieres Tuesday, 03 November 2015 11:43 AM

    you ministry fools....how many aircraft need to get diverted in a year?? the loss to the country pre and post construction is unacceptable....poor tax payers money going to waste once again

    OMG Tuesday, 03 November 2015 12:56 PM

    Haha, joke of the year 2015. No deference to MR thinking and him. Both has no idea about an airport.

    banda Wednesday, 04 November 2015 06:35 AM

    how come the fogg affected only one plane

    brainmaster Wednesday, 04 November 2015 04:59 PM

    I think Palaly could be run on profit, howeverust be kept much smaller.then BIA

    Mangala Tuesday, 03 November 2015 07:34 AM

    Mattala is going to be the OPD/emergency ward for UL pilots. Are the pilots of UL are requested to land at Mattala by a hidden hand. Why are the pilots of other airlines not having this problem? Justification of Mattala is at a cost.

    sarath Tuesday, 03 November 2015 06:07 AM

    this is an answer to critics. I am not bias.

    Rocky Tuesday, 03 November 2015 06:13 AM

    All good things will be realised, only when emergency landings happen or whenever problems are solved.

    simon Tuesday, 03 November 2015 06:18 AM

    Point taken.But this airport does not have to be built in Mattala !

    tomsam Tuesday, 03 November 2015 06:19 AM

    This is nothing but a hog wash by inept ministry.Palaly International airport as it existed in past should be reopened for civilian traffic and the military be kicked out of their occupation of Tamil homeland.

    Chris Tuesday, 03 November 2015 06:41 AM

    Good question Channa. I agree totally, stupid officials

    Jimmy Tuesday, 03 November 2015 06:57 AM

    Right or wrong the airport was built. Put it to good use (not to store paddy). Develop the economy so that we can have more air traffic. The UNP said they will fill the airport and port with planes and ships. Nothing still but storing paddy.

    Premalal Tuesday, 03 November 2015 06:59 AM

    With ministers like the one who made this stupid statement running this country no wonder people are clamouring to migrate. By the way did the fog affect only one aircraft?

    Rodney Tuesday, 03 November 2015 07:19 AM

    Nonsense. Weigh the costs against the gain. Certain functions are outsourced just for the reason. God bless the transport sector with such thinkers.

    Channa Tuesday, 03 November 2015 05:59 AM

    What is the total construction cost plus the monthly running cost compared to the cost of fuel saved last morning and at the previous occation.

    saman Tuesday, 03 November 2015 07:41 AM

    Instead of storing onions, It is up to the government to take full advantage of this facility. The fact is SL is in desperate need of a second international air port due to the expansion of tourism after the war. BIA can barely cope with the ever increasing passenger numbers. Ignoring facilities at MRIA is not going to hurt MR. As a nation we have to pay for it on way or another.

    Reader Tuesday, 03 November 2015 07:42 AM

    Requirement is a runway and a control tower not a fully pledged airport, anywhere not essentially at Mattala?

    Malhinna Tuesday, 03 November 2015 07:53 AM

    Chann: when BIA constructed by then government, opposition was fully against the idea, saying that Rathmalana was good enough for a country like Sri Lanka. Second international airport is a must for Sri Lanka, but must have selected a proper location instead Mattala.

    Amdan Tuesday, 03 November 2015 07:55 AM

    Military will exists everywhere in Sri Lanka, since need to save this country against people like you.

    dinesh Tuesday, 03 November 2015 08:12 AM

    At last they have found a way to make MRIA viable. Make all UL flights diverted to MRIA as soon as taken off from BIA.

    Govinds Tuesday, 03 November 2015 08:47 AM

    Koggala would be a better place than Mattala

    Sleeping Minister Tuesday, 03 November 2015 08:54 AM

    Minister for Sleeping in Public Functions ( Nimal ) faithful to his old Master..

    Neil Tuesday, 03 November 2015 09:02 AM

    How the second airport would located in Galle or Hingurakgoda.You will get this benefit and lot of others That is the way you should think


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