The Mattala Rajapaksa International airport has been used to start storing paddy, according to Sri Lanka’s Paddy Marketing Board.
The airport is currently only used by a single carrier, Fly Dubai, which operates one flight into the airport.
Colombo Gazette reported that several airport employees and residents in the area protested against the move.
Construction of the airport began in 2009 and was completed in 2013, under former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, and was largely financed through Chinese state loans. Since its opening it has remained largely under utilised.
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