8 February 2021 09:10 am
Resuming regular international flights, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) on Saturday welcomed services of Kazakhstan’s national carrier, Air Astana. The first Air Astana flight, an Airbus 321 arrived at 10.28 a.m. with 160 passengers onboard. It was welcomed with a traditional water salute. Air Astana is scheduled to operate weekly flights every Saturday and is expected to continue till April. In addition, SCAT Airlines will also operate weekly flights every Thursday and will continue till April. Aitken Spence Travels is the local DMC engaged in this operation. The ‘bio bubble’ concept will give a great opportunity for the international tourists to travel within the country while adhering to safety protocols.
Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga participating in the event said after the current government came to power, it took steps to make MRIA an active airport and held discussions with several international airlines about launching flights. The Minister said five more airlines are planning to launch international flights to Mattala.