This airport was built for the Royal Air Force of England during World War II. The airport was then known as RAF Minneriya.
The government led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe has decided to convert this airport located in the middle of the country into an international airport in order to improve the country’s economy. Under the first phase, the 2,287 meter long and 46 meter wide track will be extended by 2,500 meters using the provisions of this fund.
According to the Ministry of Ports, the development works of this planned runway will be completed within 06 months, after which the operations of Airbus 320 and Boeing B737 aircrafts can be carried out.
Navigation and Aviation insists that all construction work will be carried out by the Sri Lankan Air Force and monitoring work will be carried out by the airport and the airline itself.
In the event of inaugurating this construction, Minister of State Siripala Kamlat, Secretary of the Ministry K.T.S. Ruvanchandraka, Air Force Commander Air Marshal Utheni Rajapaksa, Civil Aviation Services Authority Chairman G. A group of officials including Mr. Atula Kalkatiya, Chairman of Vithanake Airport and Air Services Company, Director General of Civil Aviation Services Authority, Air Vice Marshal Sagara Kotagadeniya, were present.
Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva made a statement at the ceremony held after the construction work was started.
The airport is expected to be modernized and converted into an international airport in the near future. The minister said that the government has allocated Rs.02 billion in the budget for 2023 to start the construction work, and accordingly, every year, funds will be provided through the budget for the construction of Hingurakota Airport.
The Minister further informed: Our ultimate goal is to operate Mattala, Katunayake, Rathmalanai and Palali Airports and Hingurakoda Airport as civil airports.
