{"id":151288,"date":"2025-08-09T15:29:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T22:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=151288"},"modified":"2025-08-09T15:29:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T22:29:06","slug":"utilising-the-9-emirates-a-380-flights-flying-over-mattala-airport-daily-fro-aus-nz-to-increase-connectivity-and-tourism-from-aus-nz-to-sl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2025\/08\/09\/utilising-the-9-emirates-a-380-flights-flying-over-mattala-airport-daily-fro-aus-nz-to-increase-connectivity-and-tourism-from-aus-nz-to-sl\/","title":{"rendered":"Utilising the 9 Emirates A 380 Flights Flying Over Mattala Airport Daily fro Aus & NZ To Increase Connectivity and Tourism From Aus & NZ To SL"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHULA N.A. RAJAPAKSE MNZM FRCP (UK), FRACP, D. Med Rehab. (UK) RHEUMATOLOGIST<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
Home:<\/strong> C27, Trimmer 25 Graham Street Petone, Lower Hutt 5012 Telephone (04) 569 9390 or 027 4768797 8\/8\/25<\/td>Practice:<\/strong> High Street Specialists 577 High Street, Lower Hutt Telephone (04) 568 9875<\/strong> Email:  cnarajapakse@gmail.com<\/a>  <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hon Bimal Ratnayake
Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports & Civil Aviation,
Government of Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

bimal_r@parliament.lk<\/a>.
+94 0773111226\/+94 112785612<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Minister Ratnayake<\/strong>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subject<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exploiting The Facilities of Mattala AirPort To Enhance The Tourism Potential Of Australia and New Zealand  To Sri Lanka, Using  The Potential Offered By The 8<\/u><\/strong> Emirates Air Bus A 380<\/u><\/strong> Aircraft With Five Hundred Passengers per aircraft<\/u><\/strong>,  That Fly Daily From Melbourne ((EK 407,EK 409), Sydney (EK415,EK417,EK 413) & Brisbane (EK 431 & EK 436) and another Emirates A380 Daily From Auckland  (EK449), <\/u><\/strong>That Fly Over Mattala, Paying , Reportedly $2000\/- Per Flight To Mattala, For Emergency  Landing Rights, Because  Mattala Is The Only Airport In Their Flight Path To Dubai, Once Past Australasian Airspace, That Has A Runway Long Enough To Land An A 380.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was delighted view on television a few days ago of your comprehensive visit to the  Mattala airport and to hear your commitment also that of President Dissanayake, to explore potential for developing Mattala from a loss making AirPort to profitability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As one who has lived in New Zealand for over thirty five years, and  one who has travelled many times in the Emirates A 380 flights above many times, where  the Emirates Flight Captain often pointed out the Mattala Airport when it was newly opened, I have for over ten years now, harboured the hope that Sri Lanka would negotiate with Emirates for at least one of these nine A380\u2019s<\/strong>, take it in turn to drop off and pick up passengers from Mattala every night, at least as a pilot project possibly in the coming summer season, preceding it with adequate publicity in Aus  &NZ .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will afford immense benefits to both Sri Lanka and it\u2019s Tourism and the breadth  of clientel to Emirates so outmaneuver   it\u2019s competitors  as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits To Sri Lanka<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Australia and New Zealand<\/strong> offers Sri Lanka a potential tourism market of 25-30 million , most of whom are affluent as well as travel hungry<\/strong>, especially to warm climes, golden sand beaches. They have a great interest in the Cultural Heritage and Archeological remnants of the places they visit. Over the years, Bali, Thailand and most recently Vietnam have become popular destinations. This is largely driven by ease of access , being able to do so with one flight. However the very poor connectivity and absence of direct flights from these cities to Sri Lanka, has been a great draw back to Sri Lanka , <\/strong>preventing SL drawing tourists for Down Under. Poor connectivity is \u00a0a very common response we receive when we try to garner clients to visit Sri Lanka.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Emirates drop-offs as suggested<\/strong> would be an excellent way to fill this void<\/strong>, with very little additional cost<\/strong> to both Emirates and Sri Lanka with very little disruption <\/strong>to current flight schedules<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Mattala <\/strong>is situated in many ways better than KIA<\/strong> to cater to tourism hot spots like Yala, South Western<\/strong>\u00a0 Coast Hot Spots Like HIkkaduwa, Unawatuna, Weligam\u00a0\u00a0 Mirissa, Tangallae et<\/strong>c, less than two hours from Mattala , with the excellent motor way connections<\/strong>, with even Colombo<\/strong> being only three<\/strong> hours<\/strong> away..<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Mattala,<\/strong> also provides far better access to the eastern coast destinations like, Arugambay, Pasi Kudah<\/strong>\u00a0 . It also is less than two hours away from Ella<\/strong>, the very popular destination for young travellers from the west and down under<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. If these are exploited\u00a0 SL would be the next Bali, as most young travellers from down under wish for now,<\/strong> \u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. \u00a0More tourist arrivals will create more accommodation facilities <\/strong>improving the livelihoods of all inhabitants in this region.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. All these benefits would be low hanging fruits achievable in a short period if the Mattala utilisation improves.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Emirates A380 <\/strong>landing here would also be an impetus to utilise otherAir Lines flying A380\u2019s over Mattala like Quantas<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Connections To Southern Indian Destinations, i<\/strong>s another rout of poor connectivity from down under and if connections to Chennai or Kerala can be arranged at Mattala, the residents down under from these origins would be another a large group that would be interested in this flight. Presently they fly to Delhi and fly back south or deviate to Singapore.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Benefits To Emirates:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. W<\/strong>ith little disruption to it\u2019s schedules and little additional costs a new market would open catering to tourism from down under to Sri Lanka and also as pointed out to South India.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      What Needs To Be Done Now.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Initiate discussions between Sri Lanka & Emirates to explore these possibilities with earnest and urgency<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I would be happy to provide more information if required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I am also copying this to the  SL  High Commissioner in Wellington, HE Prasanna Gamage who is also very keen to support this idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Thanking you very much and hoping for the success of this idea<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Yours Sincerely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Dr. Chula Rajapakse MNZM<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Spokesperson and Fmr President of USLA ( United Sri Lanka Association)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      64 274768797<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      cc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. Hon Vijitha Herath Minister of Foreign Affairs , Foreign Employement and Tourism\u00a0\u00a0 herath_v@parliament.lk<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n