I think that doing that would be a terrible mistake. It is best to keep all popular routes through CMB, as taking people through HRI with no one getting off would be a waste of time, and inconvenient for passengers going to CMB. Just like how some flights to Male have to go to HRI first, basically going backwards.

Photo from: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater

btw this picture has been there for some time now and its one of the older a343 (4R-ADA/B/C) and so far very recent pics of them does not have this livery. i thnk this is edited.

again i maybe wrong. and they should paint either their brand new a320's or either of the retrofitted a332's or a343's rather than the 3 old ones.

Guys this is an edited pic...

The picture is an edited one, I saw it a few months ago!

yes... exactly last year someone posted it....

Yes - that one is a nicely done Photoshop job. As per this web-posting below, the ceremony will be at the HRI on April 30th.

Why not in Colombo our main Airport and base of srilankan Airlines.

It will be great publicity for HRI, when the entire aviation world pays attention.

CMB is already known as the gateway to SL.

A sensible move by the authorities to have the ceremony in HRI.

Sounds more like desperation to me...

HRI = Epic fail!

LMFAO . yes yes for sure.

Thats why you see always a news headline whenever an Aircraft lands in Mattala.

@Srilankan1,

Your hatred towards a second airport in Sri Lanka is unfathomable, especially since you appear to he a fan of aviation.

I think we all agree that HRI has not become the successful venture the government hoped it to be, but we should at the same time appreciate the fact that Sri Lanka as a country, has a second international airport now, which is capable of handling any jet aircraft that is currently in commercial operation.

In retrospect, they could have chosen a different location for the airport, but where?

In my opinion, the only place that would have been successful is RML, due to its proximity to the capitol. But land acquisition around RML would not have been feasible.

I do not agree with you that we should ridicule the authorities for trying to make the best out of a bad situation. Any publicity for HRI is good, especially when it involves the senior executives from the commercial aviation industry.

btw, its very difficult to make a new airport make money or be popularized.

In Dubai where the current airport is gonna go thru the runway expansion from May to July this yr, most airlines have shifted some of its operations to Sharjah which is another city and thus by ignoring DWC which is Dubai's new and 2nd airport.

so in a city where development is massive, and there is a world class leading airline like EK, the new airport in Dubai which is DWC has been very hard to market and still is.

so if its difficult in a rapidly growing city like dubai that too with EK, it will take way loads of time for sl too with hri. so lets see hw this ceremony might be of an advantage for hri too.

I completely agree. This airport is turning into an embarrassment. They would have been better served adding additions to BIA so that people would actually see it.

RML and JAF
RML, if GOSL can acquire land for outer circular highway; getting additional land from bankrupt industrial zone is not a problem

HRI is a financial disaster
HRI passenger capacity is 1 million and it handled something below 40,000 per annum. Whereas CMB capacity is 6 million and currently handling over 7.25million. Congestion in CMB Airport is already taking a toll on the passenger comfort levels.

Money should be invested where there is a business. Now CMB has to subsidize HRI operations. This will result in charges in CMB going up. Soon/ I think it is already happening. India is opening its visa controls. CMB will be relegated to a feeder airport. mind you CMB is the most expensive airport in the region.

and they want to convert HRI into a MRO. huh ALE trainee will get the necessary training and will say thank you very much. No ALE would like to live in Hambantota with their families. They will say where are the schools for our kids and soon they get a break in SIN or DXB they will move out. Otherwise wait till the migration paperwork to come from Australia.

Who need marketing for DWC. DWC is built to supplement Jebal Ali Port and DXB. EK is moving most of Cargo operation to DWC.

DXB is already congested they need to service 140 x A380s. DXB cannot expand unless they encroach into Emirate of Sharjah. Object of DWC is when the time come to close DXB. They have another airport to take over.