Chennai-Jaffna flights to resume on Monday

8 December 2022 03:30 pm - 8 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Alliance Air will resume its flight services connecting Chennai and Sri Lanka’s northern city of Jaffna from December 12, after a nearly three-year, pandemic-induced break.

“The operations will resume on December 12, with four weekly flights between the two cities,” a senior official of Alliance Air told The Hindu. The airline was earlier a subsidiary of Air India, until the national carrier’s divestment and hand over to the Tata Group in January this year, the Hindu reported.

The service, tested in October 2019 and launched in November that year, operated until March 2020, when the pandemic hit the region, forcing governments to shut airports and borders. In the four months that the flights ran between the two cities, services were increased owing to high demand, officials familiar with the operations said.

Prior to the service, residents in northern Sri Lanka had to travel south to capital Colombo, either by train or a nearly eight hour-road trip, to take a flight out of the country. The resumption of Chennai-Jaffna flight operations comes as welcome news for the Tamils living in and around Jaffna, in the Northern Province. Professionals and the business community living in the northern region have repeatedly emphasised the need for greater connectivity with India, for business and trade interests, inward tourism, and personal, familial visits.

The Palaly airport, barely 20 km north of Jaffna town, was built by the British for the Royal Air Force, during the Second World War. The Sri Lankan military has a base in Palaly, with its regional headquarters, not far from the Sri Lankan naval base in Kankesanthurai, on the tip of Jaffna Peninsula. India and Sri Lanka have agreed to develop the port in Kankesanthurai and are also exploring ferry services connecting the coastal town with Karaikal in Puducherry.

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Comments - 8

Resident Palaly Thursday, 08 December 2022 04:29 PM

Thank you. Better late than never. The runway will have to be extended for long haul flights. Can India help please?

SV Thursday, 08 December 2022 08:50 PM

Won’t be enough demand for large aircraft capacity.

Kumara Thursday, 08 December 2022 04:38 PM

Thank you. Extend the runway to accommodate larger aircrafts. This joint-venture will make foreign exchange (money) for both nations.

Punchi Thursday, 08 December 2022 08:14 PM

If we have long haul flights and even this short haul flights into Palali we could be loosing revenue from the Demilo Diaspora travelling via Indian airlines to Chennai and onto Palali as opposed to travelling in our superior Air Lanka planes crewed by us the special chosen people of the universe

lal Thursday, 08 December 2022 11:02 PM

Even a rich country like Qatar only has one international airport. This will only reduce the revenue for BIA and lose out higher landing fees

UK citizen with SL origin Friday, 09 December 2022 12:42 AM

@-Punchi - see the way your mind works ! Why worry about ‘ Demilo’ diaspora ? What has happened to your ‘ Chingalam ‘ diaspora ? In the UK, there are more than 15 international airports. British people don’t bother if they don’t use British airways for their flights. It’s narrow mindedness and inborn jealousy that makes you to think in your way. A DISGRACE .

RR HOUSE Friday, 09 December 2022 03:16 AM

Thanks to everyone who started this services. Long or short haul flights, first let's start . Make our people happy

Sri Lankan engineer in Qatar Friday, 09 December 2022 01:52 PM

@ lal - please don’t exhibit your ignorance. SL 25 thousand sq miles. Qatar 4500 sq miles. SL has 23 million people. Qatar 3 million people. SL has millions of diasporas. Qatar has strict laws for all including tourist. SL very relaxed thus more tourist. SL length to length more than 330 miles and width more than 170 miles with poor roads. Qatar all four lanes or more with stream lined roads.Qatar taxis very cheap because oil is cheaper than water! Your reading ability is poor. Read English books.

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Chennai-Jaffna flights to resume on Monday

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