International flights from Ratmalana soon | Daily News

International flights from Ratmalana soon

Plans are afoot to recommence regional international flights operations from the Ratmalana International Airport (IATA Code RML), after more than five decades.

The first international flight is scheduled to depart from the Ratmalana Airport to the Maldives in the middle of next month.

Although the Ratmalana International Airport was opened in 1938, all international flights were switched to the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport in 1968.

However, the present Government has decided to develop the Ratmalana Airport as a regional international airport under the national Policy Framework of “Vistas of Prosperity”.

Accordingly, Ratmalana airport will be developed as regional international airport mainly centred on flights to India and Maldives.

Accordingly, a flight carrying 50 passengers will first operate between Ratmalana and Maldives.

The Government recently decided to remove landing and parking fees for flights and the airport service tax for passengers for a period of one year, to promote international flights to and from the Ratmalana Airport as well as the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport. This move will enable foreign visitors to connect to domestic flights operating from Ratmalana to Jaffna, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara.

The Ratmalana Airport has a 1,800 metres runway that is ideal for regional turboprop planes.


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