Work on BIA runway begins after 30 years
Saturday, January 7, 2017 - 01:00
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Irangika Range
Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva inaugurating work on the runway overlay at the BIA yesterday.
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Work on the runway overlay at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake began yesterday after a lapse of 30 years.
The main runway at the BIA will be closed for renovation for three months from January 6 to April 5 for eight hours each day, from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. During the closure, the runway will be overlaid to improve surface condition and friction levels. This would be the first time such an overlay project is being carried out since the commissioning of the runway in 1986. The closure period was decided in consultation with the airport users with special emphasis on weather trends and civil engineering needs.
The daily closure time of eight hours during the three months has been decided taking into consideration minimising congestion to minimise any adverse impact on both airlines and airport users.
Currently,there are around 175 aircraft movements per day and most of the commercial flights have rescheduled their operations during this period.
Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said the airport authorities have taken all possible measures to minimise the impact of the closure on airport users. Security of passengers and aircraft will not be compromised in anyway during this period, but efficiency will be improved overall,” he added. De Silva further said that passengers should turn up at the Bandaranaike International Airport at least five hours before their flights to minimise congestion, caused by the closure of the airport.
“A special traffic plan will be implemented by Police within and around the airport. Drivers are advised to park their vehicles only in the vehicle parks. The respective airlines will update their passengers on any revision to their flight schedules. Sri Lankan passengers who are departing for foreign employment are requested to obtain registration from the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) head office or from islandwide SLBFE branches prior to arriving at the BIA,” the minister added. The minister said the estimated cost of the renovation project of the runway is nearly US$ 48 million which is being undertaken by the Kathik Company in China.
“I am extremely please that we could start this project during my tenure as the Transport and Civil Aviation Minister. If we continued to use the same runway without going for renovations, international recognition for the BIA would have suffered. That is why we decided to expedite this project. We will also start work on second terminal building from April. This will enable the BIA to accommodate 20 million passengers per day.We are also discussing with international airlines to bring down more airlines to the Mattala international airport,” the minister said.
“Therefore, this will be a massive boost for the country’s tourism industry,” he added.
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