Updated By: LatestGKGS Desk
India Agreed to develop Sri Lanka's Mattala Rajapaksa Int Airport in Hambantota
India agreed to develop Sri Lanka's Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota
India would operate Sri Lanka’s loss-making Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota, called the 'world's emptiest airport' due to a lack of flights.
India will now form a joint venture with Sri Lanka government to operate the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota, Sri Lanka.The venture for the $210 million facility, 241 km southeast of Colombo, will see India gain a major stake in the airport
The airport, which was named after former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was built with the capacity to handle one million passengers a year, was officially opened in March 2013.
After India's stake, the airport is expected to handle five million passengers, 50,000 tonnes of cargo and 6,250 air traffic operations per annum by 2028.
The decision comes in the backdrop of China developing the Hambantota seaport project in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka
Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Currency: Rupee
President: Maithripala Sirisena
Prime Minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe
