First need to apologized need to delete some of content just for condensing sake. This is a very interesting article and enjoyed reading...and also liked bit of sarcasm as well...killing goose well I could not agree more. I was with Singaporeans when I was studying for my B.Eng in London. This is what they told me. For them their airline, airport and their port is their national pride. In early 90`s top 25% of the university graduation marks were held by Singaporeans. They are highly educated resourceful bunch. MR thinks he is Lee Kwan Yew (both of them are lawyers) but LKY when to Cambridge and LSE whereas MR went to SL Law college without going to a university.

I know die is cast; but again requesting UL and MJ to do pit stop is basically speeding up these 2 airlines into the sunset with a heavy burden to tax payer.

I am unable to comprehend how these airline personals believe EK A380 flight diversions. This is the same administration which foul-mouthed EK and its managment. Flight diversions are very rare thing specially this day and age. no airlines want incur additional cost for their bottom line and by doing flight diversions. do they expect to bribe the refuelers at SYD to delay the refueling process.

I apologize what I meant was bunkering, not refining...

The SriLankan Airlines flight UL 114 aircraft traveling from Male to Sri Lanka on the 25th had met with an accident while flying from Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport to Katunayake.

A few minutes after taking off from Mattala, a flock of birds had knocked on the front windscreen of the aircraft. The impact had damaged the windscreen

bird strike ? well, nothing to see here

Well, I am still miffed about the logic of Pax heading to MLE being asked to do sight seeing in HRI

My previous suggestion of running larger domestic feeders for the pax who want to head to HRI-Katunayake-HRI is sensible idea

Get a couple of ATRs or Dash 8s

Oh, don't get the Chinese made MA 60s .. please

Second phase development of Colombo International Airport:

AASL receives US $ 350 m credit from JICA

Airport and Aviation Services Ltd, (AASL) has secured credit facilities to the tune of US $ 350 million from Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA). This is the first time that a government institution had received direct credit from an overseas organisation. Chairman AASL, Prasanna Wickramasuriya said that these funds would be utilized for the second phase development of the Colombo International Airport. Sri Lankan tourism is fast developing and the arrival numbers are increasing. In addition airlines want to increase frequencies while new carriers too want to fly to Colombo. This is the reason that the Colombo airport needs more capacity,” he said.



Currently the Colombo airport could accommodate six million passengers and the aim is to double this. Wickramasuriya said that the present eight aero bridges too would be increased to 12 under the second airport development project. Air cargo handling services will also be increased in parallel to the increase of passenger handling capacity. A new parking area would be built linking it to the proposed Colombo Katunayake highway. Aircraft apron and taxiway too would see a major development while utilities water supply, electricity and waste water disposal system too would be upgraded to meet the increased demand.The Colombo International Airport’s domestic terminal will be opened soon to cater to the growing domestic air traffic market in Sri Lanka. The old SriLankan Airlines cargo terminal is being used for this. “AASL would be investing a sum of Rs 250 million for this domestic terminal,” he said. Wickramasuriya said that with tourism picking up and high spenders patronizing Sri Lanka and investment and development taking place in the regions, the demand for domestic travel had increased. A sea plane landing facility in Seeduwa Dadugam Oya near the country's international airport in Katunayake too is being built jointly by the Tourism Authority of the Ministry of Economic Development and the Provincial Road Development Authority.

Reported in Dailynews

What is the development strategy mapped out for BIA?

Hi Sakith, Any update when will the phase II development will start at CMB ? Earlier they said CMB's phase II will start once they complete the phase I at HRI.

these gates are for A380

Bandaranaike International Airport Development Project Stage 2 of Phase II

Colombo Airport looks very nice compared to our Pakistan's airports.

really ?? Did you mean A320 ??

to reach the main deck of A380, judging by the scale of the people on the bridge, I doubt it ..

For the Guys who makes big hype about MRIA...


Kolonnawa to MRIA, 5 tankers of jet fuel daily for one or two flights


Hambantota oil tank farm yet to be commissioned, feasibility study under way for pipeline connecting to airport �

By Namini Wijedasa

Five bowsers of aviation fuel travel from the Kolonnawa oil refinery to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) every day, for refueling of aircraft, authoritative sources from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) said.

This is because the Chinese built oil tank farm near the Hambantota Port, about 30 km from Mattala, is yet to be commissioned, they said.

Even after the oil tank farm is fully commissioned around end September this year, aviation fuel will be conveyed by bowser to MRIA. This is because there is still no pipeline or railway line connecting the Hambantota oil tank farm and Mattala airport. CPC is now conducting a feasibility study for the construction of a pipeline. It was also not immediately clear how supplies would reach the new oil terminal- whether via road from Kolonnawa, as it does now, or by sea via the Hambantota Port. “We have been told that the Hambantota harbour is deep enough for even the largest carrier to come in,” said one CPC official.

At present, however, only car carriers dock at the harbour, as gantry cranes have yet to be installed for the unloading of other cargo. “They have been ordered,” said a source from Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), who did not wish to be quoted.�A SriLankan Airlines flight was delayed at MRIA on March 24 when a bowser carrying jet fuel for the aircraft arrived late. Riyadh bound UL273 had taken off from Bandaranaike International Airport and landed at MRIA for refueling.

Airport authorities said this mistake hasn’t been repeated. They said “one or two” flights land at MRIA on most days of the week. “For any airport to develop it is a gradual process,” said an official, who also wished to remain anonymous.�CPC has now positioned mobile tanks with a storage capacity of 250,000 litres at MRIA. They are replenished with fuel from the five bowsers daily, which have a capacity of 33,000 litres each.

Meanwhile, the Hambantota oil tank farm will be pre-commissioned in a few weeks, said Agil Hewageegana, Chief Engineer, Southern Ports Development, Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). The tender to supply oil for pre-commissioning has been awarded exclusively to the Hanqui Contracting and Engineering Corporation (HCEC), the same company that built the bunkering facility and tank farm.
At present, HCEC is rectifying defects that the CPC had detected in the terminal system. “They initially refused to do this, saying it was not in their contract with SLPA,” the sources said. But HCEC complied after authorities insisted that they had certain obligations when building such a complex.

CPC sources said SLPA was in discussions now with the contractor regarding the final commissioning in the presence of a specialised Chinese team.�Three of the 14 tanks will be leased out to CPC for storage of jet oil. Eight tanks will be used by SLPA for bunkering (fueling of ships), while the remaining three will store Liquid Petroleum Gas. Litro Gas Lanka Ltd is being considered in this regard.

Yes, those bridges are very unlikely to reach the upper deck doors of the A380. Compare them with the pictures of the A380 bridges at DXB and JFK T4 and you will know.

and for some size comparison ..

A 320, 77w docked, vs the head on view of the 380 (from 3rd story of Changi T3)