Weerawila International Airport
Encyclopedia
The Weerawila International Airport was a proposed airport in Weerawila, in the Hambantota District
in the south of Sri Lanka
. It was intended to serve the southern and eastern parts of the island. Initially to be completed by 2009, it was scheduled to be the second international airport in Sri Lanka. However, the project faced significant environmental concerns, and was eventually scrapped. The site of the proposed airport was moved to Mattala, Hambantota
, and a new airport
is currently under construction there.
Mahinda Rajapaksa
. It was to be the first airport in Sri Lanka to be capable of landing the latest Airbus A380
aircraft, and was to act as the hub
for the country's low cost carrier, Mihin Lanka
.
Rs. 12.5 billion ($125 million) was to be invested for the first phase of the project, which was to comprise a 4000-meter runway and provide space for 14 aircraft at a time. In addition a customs building, large hangar, AASL office and other modern facilities were to be provided. The construction was to be carried out under the guidance of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The proposed Weerawila International Airport site is currently a Sri Lanka Air Force base, known as SLAF Wirawila.
Hambantota District
Hambantota District is located on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka, in the Southern Province. It has an area of 2,593 km² and a very dry climate. The district capital is Hambantota town; the administrative headquarters are located there as well as the center of salt production...
in the south of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. It was intended to serve the southern and eastern parts of the island. Initially to be completed by 2009, it was scheduled to be the second international airport in Sri Lanka. However, the project faced significant environmental concerns, and was eventually scrapped. The site of the proposed airport was moved to Mattala, Hambantota
Hambantota
Hambantota is a coastal city in the south of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of the Hambantota District...
, and a new airport
Mattala International Airport
The Mattala International Airport is an international airport currently under construction in Mattala, in the Hambantota District in the south of Sri Lanka...
is currently under construction there.
Original project
In the first phase, the Weerawila International Airport was due to accommodate eight aircraft. The foundation stone for the airport was laid on November 19, 2006 by PresidentPresident of Sri Lanka
The President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the head of government. The President is a dominant political figure in Sri Lanka. The office was created in 1978 but has grown so powerful there have been calls to restrict or even eliminate its power...
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Percy Mahendra "Mahinda" Rajapaksa ; ; born November 18, 1945) is the 6th and current President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970, and served as prime minister from April 6,...
. It was to be the first airport in Sri Lanka to be capable of landing the latest Airbus A380
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
aircraft, and was to act as the hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
for the country's low cost carrier, Mihin Lanka
Mihin Lanka
Mihin Lanka is a low-cost airline based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is a fully owned and funded enterprise of the Sri Lankan government. Its main focus is providing low cost flights from Colombo to a number of cities in the Indian subcontinent, the Gulf States and Southeast Asia...
.
Rs. 12.5 billion ($125 million) was to be invested for the first phase of the project, which was to comprise a 4000-meter runway and provide space for 14 aircraft at a time. In addition a customs building, large hangar, AASL office and other modern facilities were to be provided. The construction was to be carried out under the guidance of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The proposed Weerawila International Airport site is currently a Sri Lanka Air Force base, known as SLAF Wirawila.