The project to upgrade the Palaly Domestic Airport in Jaffna as a regional airport at a cost of Rs 2250 million is set to commence this afternoon.
The aim of this project is to commence passenger flight operations between India and Sri Lanka by August. India has provided Rs 300 million as a grant for the transformation of the airport.
According to a Civil Aviation Ministry official, the airport will be developed under three stages.
The first phase is already underway with the re-laying of a 950 metre runway. This runway would be extended upto 1.5 kilometres and eventually 2.3 kilometres as the second and third phases of the project respectively.
Upon completion of the project, the airport is expected accomodate aircraft within an area of 1.8 square kilometres.
Flights are expected to operate between Sri Lanka and India's Bangalore, Kochi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai airports.
(Mirror)