Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena inaugurates Jaffna international airport
President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday inaugurated the country's third international airport in the Tamil-dominated Northern Province's capital city Jaffna, upgraded with India's assistance.
An Alliance Air flight from Chennai was the first to land at the new international airport.
The ATR 72-600 AIR craft was accorded water salute as it landed. Alliance Air is a subsidiary of Air India.
The Jaffna International Airport was earlier known as Palaly airport which was used as a military air base and for domestic flights.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Taranjit Singh Sandh, among other senior dignitaries.
Sandhu said that with the inauguration of the Jaffna airport the bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka have now truly touched the sky.
"Air Alliance will operate short haul flights between Chennai and Jaffna," an official statement said.
Sandhu added that the inaugural flight was yet ..