Sri Lanka’s Mattala airport sees 35,000 passengers in 2017

Sri Lanka’s Mattala international airport built by China has handled 30,051 passenger using it in 2017, sharply from 5,750 passengers a year earlier, after the main airport in Colombo was closed for runway repairs earlier in the year.

Aircraft movements to Mattala had increased 6.9 percent to 978 in 2017, central bank data showed.

UAE based Fly Dubai makes scheduled flights to the airport built by China with a loan from the country.

Sri Lanka has tried to attract an investor to run the airport and later said it will given to India to operator. However no further steps have been taken.

Passenger movements at Sri Lanka’s Katunayake airport near the capital Colombo has increased 5 percent to 9.8 million, despite an 8 hour closure of the runway for repaying in the first quarter of the year.

Aircraft movements had increased 0.3 percent to 64,903.