The Sri Lankan government rejected reports that India would be involved in redeveloping the Palaly airport in Jaffna and said the airport would be developed domestically instead.
Indian press reports had claimed that India’s airport development authority was preparing a proposal to internationalise the Jaffna airport, which currently remains under military occupation, and develop connectivity between the Northern Province and South India, Malaysia, Thailand etc, in line with consistent requests from Tamil leaders in the North.
Sri Lanka’s transport minister however refuted the claims in Parliament on Tuesday, saying the Sri Lankan government had not taken any decision to hand over the Palaly airport to India, or any other country, and that the airport would be developed in partnership with Sri Lanka’s Tourism Development Fund and Civil Aviation Authority instead.
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