Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport
Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) (Sinhala: මත්තල රාජපක්ෂ ජාත්යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ, romanized: Mattala Rājapakṣa Jātyantara Guvantoṭupaḷa; Tamil: மத்தல ராஜபக்ஷ சர்வதேச விமானநிலையம், romanized: Mattala Rājapakṣa Carvatēca Vimāṉanilaiyam) (IATA: HRI, ICAO: VCRI) is an international airport serving southeast Sri Lanka. It is located in the town of Mattala, 18 km (11 mi) from Hambantota. It is the first greenfield airport and the third international airport in the country, after Ratmalana International Airport and Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo.
Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport මත්තල රාජපක්ෂ ජාත්යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ மத்தல ராஜபக்ஷ சர்வதேச விமான நிலையம் | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||
| Owner | Government of Sri Lanka | ||||
| Operator | AASL | ||||
| Serves | Southern Province | ||||
| Location | Mattala, Hambantota, Sri Lanka | ||||
| Time zone | SLST (UTC+05:30) | ||||
| Elevation AMSL | 48 m / 159 ft | ||||
| Coordinates | 06°17′20″N 81°07′25″E / 6.28889°N 81.12361°E | ||||
| Website | Official website | ||||
| Map | |||||
HRI Location of airport in Sri Lanka | |||||
| Runways | |||||
| Statistics (2021) | |||||
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Source :[1] | |||||
MRIA was opened in March 2013 by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who ordered the construction of the airport. Initially, several airlines flew to the airport, including SriLankan Airlines which established a hub. However, due to low demand, almost all of these airlines left Mattala by 2018.
Due to the low number of flights, it has been proposed to offer long-term aircraft parking services as well as creating flying schools and maintenance services to be offered from the airport.[2] In 2016, as the airport is not generating enough revenue to pay back the loans, the Sri Lankan government called for Expressions of Interest to run commercial activities. It was dubbed "The World's Emptiest International Airport" by Forbes due to its low number of flights despite the large size of the airport.[3][4] In 2020, newly elected Sri Lankan Government scrapped the negotiations with India to run the airport as a joint venture.[5] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport has seen an increase in traffic due to repatriation, charter, and seafarer flights. In 2022, the government again revived plans to run the MRIA as a Public Private Partnership because the airport continues to run at a loss.[6]
History edit
A third international airport[7] for Sri Lanka outside Colombo was considered for various reasons. Congestion was increasing at Bandaranaike International Airport, and an alternate airport was desired.[8][9] In addition, the Rajapaksa government wanted to revitalise the tourism industry following the Sri Lankan Civil War. An airport in Hambantota District would be located close to several tourist attractions, including Arugam Bay, Nuwara Eliya and Yala National Park.[10] Hambantota was also the home town of the president at time, Mahinda Rajapaksa.[11]
It was initially planned to expand Weerawila Airport into an international airport, but the plans were scrapped due to environmental concerns. The site was then moved to Mattala, a small town 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Hambantota.[12]
Construction edit
The Strategic Enterprises Management Agency (SEMA) of the government was against creating an international airport in Mattala, and instead recommended the expansion of BIA facilities and improving the Airfield in Puttalam as an emergency landing strip due to lower transport costs, it being already situated near an air corridor, and less environmental damage. However, this was overridden by the government.[7]
US$209 million was spent on the project, with $190 million coming from the Chinese government in the form of high-interest development loans from the Exim Bank of China.[13] Construction of phase one began on 27 November 2009.[14] By the end of February 2012, the construction of the runway, apron and taxiways was completed ahead of schedule.
On 16 October 2012, a Hawker Beechcraft B200 King Air of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority became the first aircraft to land at the new airport. It was an instrument testing aircraft fitted with ATC testing equipment. The test flights continued for 8 days for testing the ILS and other flight controls fixed in the new airport.[15]
On 24 January 2013, Sri Lanka Minister of Civil Aviation Piyankara Jayaratne said in parliament that the airport would be declared open on 18 March 2013. A SriLankan Airlines Airbus A330-200 landed at the airport on 29 January 2013. This was the second plane to land, shortly followed by an Airbus A320, which carried 125 orphan children from Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo.[16]
In March 2013, the Civil Aviation Authority awarded MRIA international airport certification, allowing it to receive international flights.[17]
The airport was opened for flight operations on 18 March 2013. President Rajapaksa, his ministers, and other dignitaries arrived in a SriLankan Airlines Airbus A340 to attend the inauguration ceremony.[18] The first commercial flight to land at Mattala was SriLankan Airlines Flight 226 from Dubai, followed by an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah and a Flydubai flight from Dubai.[19]
Criticism edit
MRIA has been called a white elephant of Mahinda Rajapaksa's presidency. It was part of Rajapaksa's plan to transform Hambantota District into a commercial hub; other projects included a cricket stadium and an international port.[20][21] However, the plan was considered a pet project of Rajapaksa, as Hambantota District is his home district but is also poor and largely rural.[9][20]
As a result, there has been low demand for flights from Mattala, and the airport has accrued significant losses.[22] Although MRIA is located close to many tourist attractions such as Yala National Park, it lacks adequate transport links, accommodations, facilities, etc.[12]
In 2004, a report produced by the International Air Transport Association claimed that money would be better invested in a second runway at the BIA than a new airport. Aviation experts have claimed that the runway orientation of the airport makes the aircraft face dangerous crosswinds. Only one taxiway has been built and that makes it very hard time for taking off and landings as the pilots have to turn their airplanes for 180 degrees, plus the air traffic handling capacity has become very poor. Sri Lankan pilots were also not consulted when the airport was planned.[23]
In addition, environmentalists have criticised MRIA for being built in an elephant and migratory bird habitat. During the planning stages of the project, environmentalists had warned of the threat to wildlife, but construction went ahead.[24][25][26] 2,000 acres of forest were cleared to build the airport, displacing about 200 elephants. Migratory birds, which frequent the area, have been involved in collisions with aircraft approaching or departing from MRIA.[27]
The authors of Banking on Beijing, a 2022 book published by the University of Cambridge,[28] linked the China-funded construction in the president's home province with a wider pattern of political corruption allegedly carried out by China in developing countries.[29]
Later developments edit
As the access road is rarely used, pieces of the safety net on the access road have been removed to create gateways for cattle to enter the road. The malfunctioning light system makes the road preferable for wild elephants to roam at night and the road is also used to dry pepper harvests.[30]
The unused air cargo terminals were leased by the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) to store the rice bumper harvest from the region which allowed the Airport to make revenues larger than flight-related activities.[31] In 2016, over 300 soldiers, police officers and volunteers were deployed to chase away wild animals from the airport. Firecrackers were used to scare away the animals, however, the operation was unsuccessful and a bigger operation was planned.[32][33]
However, due to the runway renovations of Bandaranaike International Airport Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) briefly became busier with at least five flights using the airport daily.[34][35] Some passengers were unhappy with what was described as a three-hour wait in the middle of a jungle.[36]
SriLankan Airlines, Mihin Lanka, Cinnamon Air, Air Arabia and Flydubai served Mattala in the beginning, but the majority soon ended service. Air Arabia ended its flights from Sharjah only six weeks after beginning service, citing low demand.[37][38] SriLankan Airlines operated a hub at the airport until 2015. In triangle routings through Colombo, the airline flew to Bangkok, Beijing, Chennai, Jeddah, Malé, Riyadh, Shanghai, and Tiruchirappalli from Mattala. The hub was closed on 17 January 2015, as the airline was accruing great losses on the routes.[39] Mihin Lanka flew from Mattala to Gaya and Medan but that airline also ended flights.[40]
All international airlines have left Mattala as of 2018. Flydubai operated a daily triangle routing through Colombo to Dubai. Cinnamon Air began direct flights to Colombo in May 2016 but ceased operations in 2018 due to the operations being uneconomical and several bird strikes.[41] In 2018 Flydubai also ceased its operations in the airport citing it to be "uneconomical"[42]
Now Antonov Airlines is using MRIA as a transit base to refuel and provide rest for its crew members. On average 4 flights per month land in MRIA. In April 2018, the world's largest aircraft, the Antonov An-225 Mriya also landed in MRIA. This was the first time the An-225 had landed in Sri Lanka.[43]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, The airport has been handling ship crew changes and repatriation flights, In June and July 2020, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport handled more than 50 flights involving 2,188 passengers.[44] On August 9, 2020, officially commencing cargo operations at the airport, an Emirates cargo flight took off from MRIA to the US.[45] During COVID 19 Pandemic SriLankan Airlines, Emirates, Philippines AirAsia, Air India, IndiGo, TUI fly Netherlands, Myanmar Airways, Alliance Air airlines used Mattala Airport for repatriation and seafarer flights.[46][47]
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi was going to start operations at this airport on 1 August 2023 however they were cancelled.[citation needed]
Future plans edit
A second stage of expansion was planned but has not commenced as of early 2016. Under this stage, the terminal would be greatly expanded, with the number of jetways raised to 15. In addition, a new hangar and cargo apron would be constructed. Stage 2 would raise MRIA's capacity to 5–6 million passengers per year.[48][49] Expansion plans were halted due to commercial failure of the airport in June 2018. The news reports say that the Sri Lankan government is planning to make a joint venture with India to operate the airport due to the financial losses of the government.[50]
Facilities edit
Terminal edit
The passenger terminal covers 10,000 m2 (110,000 sq ft) and can handle 1 million passengers per year. It has 12 check-in counters and 2 gates equipped with jetways.[51] In addition, the terminal has a restaurant, medical centre, and a lounge for business class passengers.
Runway edit
MRIA has a single runway, 05/23. It measures 3,500 m (11,483 ft), making it capable of receiving the world's largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380.[51]
Other facilities edit
The air traffic control tower stands at a height of 35 m (115 ft). The airport cargo facility occupies 1,000 m2 (11,000 sq ft) and can handle up to 50,000 tonnes of freight per year.[51]
In 2014, a fuel hydrant system and an aircraft refuelling terminal were completed. The fuel hydrant system was built by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) at a cost of USD$7 million, while the refueling terminal was constructed by Amana Pipeline Construction LLC, a Dubai-based construction company at a cost of USD$31 million.[48][unreliable source?] Previously, fuel had to be transported by bowser from tanks at Hambantota Port, sometimes resulting in flight delays.[52]
Airlines and destinations edit
Passenger edit
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Bulgaria Air | Seasonal charter: Sofia[53] |
| Cinnamon Air | Batticaloa, Colombo–Bandaranaike, Koggala, Sigiriya |
| FitsAir | Charter: Colombo–Ratmalana |
| Red Wings Airlines | Seasonal charter:Moscow-Zhukovsky, Chelyabinsk, Kazan |
| SCAT Airlines | Seasonal charter: Almaty[54] |
| SkyUp Airlines | Seasonal charter: Warsaw–Chopin, Tallinn, Katowice, Vilnius, Chișinău |
| Uzbekistan Airways | Seasonal charter: Tashkent[55] |
Cargo edit
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| FitsAir | Colombo–Ratmalana |
Statistics edit
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Accidents and incidents edit
All accidents and incidents that have occurred have been a direct result of bird collisions.
- On 14 March 2013, a SriLankan Airlines aircraft operating a test flight between Colombo and Mattala collided with a flock of birds on approach. The aircraft was able to land safely.[56]
- On 25 March 2013, SriLankan Airlines Flight 114, an Airbus A340-300 flying from Malé to Colombo via Mattala, collided with birds upon takeoff from MRIA. A crack formed in the cockpit windscreen, but the aircraft was able to continue to Colombo.[27]
- On 11 January 2014, flydubai Flight 551, a Boeing 737-800 travelling from Colombo to Dubai via Mattala, hit a flock of peacocks during takeoff from MRIA. The aircraft was forced to return to MRIA, and engineers and technicians were flown in from Colombo to inspect it.[57]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Govt. plans to resume operations at Mattala Airport". dailymirror.lk. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ . www.economynext.com. Archived from the original on 14 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
- ^ "For Sale: The World's Emptiest International Airport".
- ^ "The Story Behind The World's Emptiest International Airport".
- ^ "Sri Lanka, not India, will develop Mattala airport: Gotabaya Rajapaksa".
- ^ "Mattala Airport running at monthly loss of Rs. 10 Mn : Minister - Latest News | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
- ^ a b "GOVERNMENT AGENCY ADVISED AGAINST SITING SECOND AIRPORT AT MATTALA BEFORE ITS CONSTRUCTION STARTED". Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ^ "Flights from BIA via Mattala" 10 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Daily Mirror. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ a b Hardy, Michael (29 November 2009). "Hambantota Airport Fueled By Politics" 9 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The Sunday Leader. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ "Mattala airport to boost tourism industry" 29 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine. President's Media Division. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ "Nowhere to hide". The Economist. 5 May 2016.
- ^ a b Smith, James C. (11 January 2016). "“On paper Sri Lanka has two airports”: Mattala International, the airport without planes". CityMetric. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ Abeywickrema, Mandana I. (12 May 2013). "Concerns Over Mattala Performance". The Sunday Leader. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- ^ President Rajapaksa inaugurates proposed Hambantota Air Port construction work « Sinhale Hot News Archived 30 May 2012 at archive.today. Sinhale.wordpress.com (28 November 2009). Retrieved on 9 May 2012.
- ^ "First test flight lands at Mattala international airport" 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. President's Media Division. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ^ "MRIA awarded International Airport Certification" . Sunday Observer. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- ^ "A new chapter in Sri Lanka's aviation history marked" 7 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Ministry of Defence Sri Lanka. 19 March 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- ^ "MATTALA RAJAPAKSA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TAKES WING". The Times of Sri Lanka. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- ^ a b Bearak, Max (31 March 2015). "Sri Lankan ex-president's vanity airport project grounded by cash crunch". Al Jazeera America. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ Bengali, Shashank (30 March 2015). "Sri Lanka confronts ex-leader's extravagant projects in 'middle of nowhere'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ "Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport to be closed during the night to minimize losses" 1 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. The Ceylon Independent. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ "Why Mattala could not take off: Here's the plane truth - The Sunday Times Sri Lanka". www.sundaytimes.lk.
- ^ Kuruwita, Rathindra (18 February 2016). "Development – at what cost?" 1 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Environment Conservation Trust. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ Rodrigo, Malaka (18 March 2013). "Airport in Elephant Territory opens today". Window to Nature. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ Berenger, Leon (19 January 2014). "Religious beliefs save Mattala peacocks, but threat persists". Sunday Times. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ a b Kannangara, Nirmala (31 March 2013). "Mattala International Airport In Mid-air Battle" 13 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine. The Sunday Leader. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ Dreher, Axel; Fuchs, Andreas; Parks, Bradley; Strange, Austin; Tierney, Michael J. (2022). Banking on Beijing: The Aims and Impacts of China's Overseas Development Program. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-47410-8.
- ^ Ni, Vincent (29 May 2022). "China funnels its overseas aid money into political leaders' home provinces". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Only peacocks fly out of the Mattala International Airport? (Watch video) - Sri Lanka News". 17 June 2015.
- ^ "Matala Airport records greater revenue from non-flight related activity - Sri Lanka News". 14 January 2016.
- ^ "Sunday Times - Troops clear wild animals from Mattala airport". www.sundaytimes.lk.
- ^ "Troops Clear Wild Animals From Sri Lanka's White-Elephant Airport". NDTV.com.
- ^ "Mattala Airport abuzz with Chinese tourists". sundaytimes.lk. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
- ^ "MRIA makes hay while BIA undergoes renovations". dailymirror.lk. 9 February 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
- ^ "No longer the world's loneliest airport". Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ^ "Air Arabia Cancels Mattala/Hambantota Service from May 2013". Airline Route. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ "Air Arabia suspends flights to Mattala". Daily Mirror. 9 May 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ "Sri Lankan Airlines cancels flights to Mattala from tomorrow". Sri Lanka Guardian. 16 January 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ "SriLankan Airlines & Mihin Lanka outlook improves following strategic adjustments by new government". CAPA - Centre for Aviation. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ "Cinnamon Air to operate Mattala flights" 24 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Aviation Voice. 14 November 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ "Flydubai ceases operations at MRIA". Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 18 April 2018.
- ^ "Sri Lanka's Mattala Airport gets busy in Covid-19 crisis, eyes scheduled flights". economynext.com. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
- ^ "Sri Lanka's Mattala International Airport commences cargo flights". colombopage.com.
- ^ "AirAsia Philippines starts seafarer flights to Sri Lanka's Mattala airport".
- ^ "Sri Lanka's Mattala Airport gets busy in Covid-19 crisis, eyes scheduled flights".
- ^ a b "Mattala Rajapaksa (formerly Hambantota) International Airport, Sri Lanka". airport-technology.com. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ Cassim, Nisthar (11 March 2013). "MR Intl. Airport promises ‘New journey begins here!’" 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Daily FT. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ "India to operate "world's emptiest airport" in Sri Lanka". The Hindu. thehindu.com. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ a b c Maslen, Richard (18 March 2013). "New Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport Opens in Sri Lanka". Routes Online. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ "Plane delayed at Mattala". Daily Mirror. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
- ^ "Шри Ланка посрещна българските туристи с воден салют и тържествена програма".
- ^ "SCAT Airlines to commence flights to Mattala Airport in March". 23 February 2023.
- ^ "First ever charter flight from Uzbekistan to arrive in MRIA". dailynews.lk. 8 February 2022.
- ^ "Bird attack on SriLankan flight to Mattala". Sri Lanka Guardian. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
- ^ "Panic as peacocks hit plane at MRIA". The Sunday Times. 12 January 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
External links edit
Media related to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website 1 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine