Jaffna: An Alliance Air flight from Chennai landed at the Jaffna International Airport on Thursday as Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena inaugurated the country''s third international airport, upgraded with India''s assistance, in the Tamil-dominated Northern Province.
The inaugural flight from Chennai was the first to land at the new international airport in Jaffna. The ATR 72-600 aircraft was accorded water salute as it landed at the Jaffna airport, about 400-km from capital Colombo.
The Jaffna International Airport was earlier known as Palaly airport which was used as a military air base and for domestic flights.
President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe formally unveiled a plaque commemorating the inauguration of the airport. Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu was also present.
The occasion also marked the maiden ATR-72 aircraft of Alliance Air making its first overseas trip with a delegation from India led by Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani, Alliance Air CEO C S Subbiah and a group of Indian journalists on board.
Alliance Air, the wholly owned subsidiary of Air India, would soon commence its maiden overseas flight to Jaffna, aimed at boosting the ties between India and Sri Lanka.
The airline currently serves 54 destinations across India and first overseas operation between Chennai-Jaffna touched down at the newly laid runway.
Speaking on the occasion, Sandhu said that with the inauguration of the Jaffna airport the bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka have now truly touched the sky.
Sandhu said that the inaugural flight was yet another example of India''s commitment to continue with people-oriented development projects in Sri Lanka.
According to the Lankan authorities, the air service between Chennai-Jaffna was launched on Thursday after a gap of 41 years. The flight operations were suspended during the decades old civil war in Lanka.
17/10/19 Vijay Karthik/PTI/Outlook
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The inaugural flight from Chennai was the first to land at the new international airport in Jaffna. The ATR 72-600 aircraft was accorded water salute as it landed at the Jaffna airport, about 400-km from capital Colombo.
The Jaffna International Airport was earlier known as Palaly airport which was used as a military air base and for domestic flights.
President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe formally unveiled a plaque commemorating the inauguration of the airport. Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu was also present.
The occasion also marked the maiden ATR-72 aircraft of Alliance Air making its first overseas trip with a delegation from India led by Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani, Alliance Air CEO C S Subbiah and a group of Indian journalists on board.
Alliance Air, the wholly owned subsidiary of Air India, would soon commence its maiden overseas flight to Jaffna, aimed at boosting the ties between India and Sri Lanka.
The airline currently serves 54 destinations across India and first overseas operation between Chennai-Jaffna touched down at the newly laid runway.
Speaking on the occasion, Sandhu said that with the inauguration of the Jaffna airport the bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka have now truly touched the sky.
Sandhu said that the inaugural flight was yet another example of India''s commitment to continue with people-oriented development projects in Sri Lanka.
According to the Lankan authorities, the air service between Chennai-Jaffna was launched on Thursday after a gap of 41 years. The flight operations were suspended during the decades old civil war in Lanka.
17/10/19 Vijay Karthik/PTI/Outlook
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