Public money spent in Sri Lanka to develop infrastructure for private sea plane business

Sri Lanka Minister of Civil Aviation Priyankara Jayarathna said at the beginning of this month that the state owned Sri Lankan airline would terminate its loss making sea plane operations within four months as the current lease agreements of sea planes would also end.

But the government will declare open a new sea plane landing airport in Dandugamoya in close proximity to the Katunayaka Bandaranaike International Airport tomorrow (May 21)  with a teak pier, passenger lounge and parking facility for tourist vehicles.

Further, the government has plans to increase the number of sea plane points of the island from 10 to 20 within this year.

All these infrastructure development is conducted with public money for the benefit of a private company that is to launch a sea plane service shortly. It is in addition to the loss born by public for the launch of the new business venture in this country.

Sources say that this business is also linked to the ruling family.

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Sea plane landing close to Sri Lanka's main airport to begin in April

Sea plane landing in Dandugam Oya in Seeduwa close to Katunayaka Bandaranaike International Airport will commence in April, Ministry of Economic Development sources say.

The venue that is close proximity to the country's main airport is expected to contribute to the boom of the tourist industry of the country.

Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa who inspected the development of the venue of sea plane landing on March 27, directed officials to complete the work on the site by first week of April to provide sea landing facilities for direct internal flight services which allows to fly to up country and other tourists destinations in the country.

The project is carried out by Tourism Authority in collaboration with Provincial Road Development Authority.

Earlier, the plan was to use the Negambo lagoon as the venue of sea plane landing but it was held due to protests of the traditional fishermen of the lagoon.

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