Following Sri Lanka’s invitation to foreign investors to oversee the airport, which is adjacent to the Chinese-controlled Hambantota Port, India is keeping a careful eye on Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport.
According to sources, given China’s growing influence in Sri Lanka, the project offers Indian companies a strategic chance to bolster their position in the Indian Ocean region.
Companies may engage in landside development, airside operations, or both under the investment proposal. From India’s point of view, the airport might assist Indian airlines with maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services, which would lower operating expenses and turnaround times.
Mattala is a good location for pilot training facilities and aviation-related infrastructure because of its long runways, wide airspace, and sufficient land. Furthermore, industrial parks, logistical hubs, and renewable energy projects can be built on about 238 hectares of land surrounding the airport.
The action, according to officials, is in line with India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy and Vision MAHASAGAR strategy for regional cooperation and connectivity.
The current concept follows the failure of an earlier airport lease arrangement involving an Indo-Russian consortium due to a change in Sri Lanka’s administration.
Source – Newspoint
