Mattala Rajapaksa Airport ....

Mattala Rajapaksa Airport ....

a paddy warehouse from today

The Paddy Marketing Board had announced that the warehouse complex of Mattala International

Airport which has not been made use of for sometime is to be utilised for the purpose of storing paddy from today (01).

On permission granted by the government, Chairman, Mr. M.B. Dissanayaka had mentioned that stocks of paddy of the last Yala Season of Hambanthota District would be brought to Mattala. It was 2 years before this that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared opened Mattala International Airport which consisted of modern facilities such as signal systems necessary to land and take off flights, in accordance with international standards.

This airport which failed to bring in profits right from the inception even upto recent times used the services of Fly Dubai Airways only. During the past the farmers in the vicinity tried to make use of the track to dry pepper. It was under these circumstances that the Paddy Marketing Board made use of the warehouse facilities available for the purpose of storing paddy.