India’s Alliance Air expresses interest in flying to Sri Lanka’s northern Palaly Airport
A subsidiary of Air India, Alliance Air, has reportedly expressed interest in flying to the Palaly Airport in Sri Lanka’s northern Jaffna peninsula.
“Some Indian Airlines (have expressed interest), one airline is called Alliance Air,” Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Air Transport and Economic Regluation Director Rayhan Wanniappa has been quoted as saying.
He has made this observation in response to questions posed by the media.
Alliance Air currently flies to 54 cities within India, according to its website.
Accordingly, the airline operates 18 ATR 72-600 (70/72 seat) aircraft and one ATR 42-320 (48-seater) which Palaly is able to accommodate.
Sri Lanka’s Palaly airport is to be upgraded to handle airliners as big as the Boeing B737 and Airbus A320, reports state.
The government of Sri Lanka is currently developing Palaly to become Sri Lanka’s third international airport.
“Construction work is currently happening and operations will commence around October,” Wanniappa has told the local media.
Currently, residents in Jaffna, who have close links with India, have to make an eight-hour drive to Colombo to take a one-hour flight to the southern Indian states.
A Finance Ministry report has stated that the Airports and Aviation Services Ltd (AASL) which manages civil airports in Sri Lanka will also operate and manage the Palaly Airport following the Rs. 2 billion upgrade.
OSL take:
The interest expressed by India’s Alliance Air to operate flights to Sri Lanka’s northern Palaly Airport would herald a boost to the island’s tourism sector. It would also strengthen trade ties between the two countries. Sri Lanka and India already have a free trade agreement that could be fully utilised by the creation of easy access through the Palaly Airport. India is already one of the key tourism source markets of Sri Lanka. Given Sri Lanka’s close proximity to India and close access through the Palaly Airport in the Northern Province would entice foreign businesses/investors to use Sri Lanka as the base to engage with India utilising the preferential treatment enjoyed by the island.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/28082019/Z_3 |