• Three international flights per week to the Maldives will begin on March 27

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama  

Scheduled international and regional flight operations  commenced from the Colombo International Airport, Ratmalana (CIAR)  yesterday after 54 years.   

Addressing the media, relaunching the international  regional flights, Aviation and Export Zones Development State Minister  D. V. Chanaka said the Island Aviation Services Limited, a fully owned  airline company of the Government of the Maldives, and the Maldivian  national airline, have commenced international and regional flights  between the two countries.  

He said the Maldivian National airline is commencing  regional flights between its main hubs at Velana International Airport  (VIA) and Colombo International Airport, Ratmalana. Initially, the  airline will operate scheduled flights (Dash-8 aircraft with 50 seats)  between Sri Lanka and the Maldives (Colombo) three times a week, and the  frequency will be increased to five from May 2022 onwards.  

Moving ahead with the long-term objectives of Airport and  Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited (AASL) to develop the  airports and aviation industry of Sri Lanka, CIAR implemented an  aggressive strategy to utilise its resources effectively to contribute  to the development of the aviation industry in Sri Lanka.   

The AASL has decided to engage in ground handling at the CIAR, he said.  The minimum duration of the flight between CIAR and VIA is  90 minutes. From CIAR, people can choose to fly to any of the domestic  airports in the Maldives as their destination.   

Currently, the CIAR has three flights per week schedule to  the Maldives. We hope there will be an increase in the number of  passengers, and that will help to increase the number of flights to  seven per week. Flights between the Maldives and India, as well as  several other countries, will begin in the first stage, according to the  State Minister.  

Three international flights per week to the Maldives will begin on March 27.     

• The minimum duration of the flight between CIAR and VIA is  90 minutes. From CIAR, people can choose to fly to any of the domestic  airports in the Maldives as their destination