The Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) in Mattala has recorded its highest number of passenger arrivals this year (2021).
Speaking to reporters during an inspection tour of the airport, Minister Namal Rajapaksa said a total of 25,767 passengers had used the Mattala Airport from January 2021 to date.
The passenger arrivals are in comparison to the 17,544 recorded in 2020, and 1,403 recorded in 2019.
The airport which was declared open in 2013, was used largely during the Covid pandemic for repatriation, charter, and seafarer flights.
Minister Rajapaksa pointed out that the number of cargo had also shown a significant increase at the MRIA this year, in comparison to previous years, and in parallel to the increase in passenger arrivals.
He added that it was the intention of the Government to promote the Mattla airport as an aviation hub in the region.
Meanwhile, a meeting was also held under the patronage of Minister Namal Rajapaksa at the Mattala Airport, to review the future business strategies of SriLankan Airlines and the measures to be taken to maintain services while minimizing costs in the face of the current COVID19 pandemic, as well as passenger and cargo innovations.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of development projects that take place at the airport premises.
Discussions were also held on the launch of SriLankan Airlines’ new flights to Maldives and Kazakhstan via Mattala International Airport within the year 2021.
Minister Namal Rajapaksa was accompanied by Minister for Aviation and Export Zones Development, D. V. Chanaka. (NewsWire)