Mattala Airport employees greet the first two tourists entering Sri Lanka after a lapse of nine months on 28th Dec 2020. A SkyUp Airlines flight from Ukraine carrying 185 tourists landed at the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, marking the revival of tourism in the island under a pilot project. All tourists arriving in the island have to adhere to strict health guidelines formulated jointly by the Ministries of Health and Tourism. Pictures by Gayan Pushpika
A total of 185 passengers arrived at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport, Mattala, from Ukraine aboard a SkyUp Boeing 737- 900 Charter flight (PQ 555) , heralding a new chapter in post – Covid-19 tourism.
This is the first time that a group of tourists arrived in Sri Lanka since the country opened up after the Covid-19 outbreak and this group will be staying in Sri Lanka between 10 to 14 days. The flight was scheduled to arrive at 2.40 p.m. but arrived ahead of time at 2.06 p.m., a tourism Ministry spokesman said.
The passengers who arrived at the Mattala Airport were subject to PCR Tests 72 hours prior to their departure from the Kiev Airport in Ukraine. They were subject to PCR tests on their arrival in Mattala, prior to their departure to their hotels. They will be subject to further PCR Tests during their stay.
Prior to the arrival of the tourists, Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga told a news
conference that this was a Pilot Project which was to continue from December 28 till January 24.
“The Ukrainian tourists will be provided with accommodation within hotels on the coastal belt (mainly Koggala, Beruwala and Bentota) and will be in a “travel bubble”. They will not be able to come into contact with the local people of the area. There will be a total of 2,580 tourists who will be arriving under this program mainly from the CIS countries,” the Minister said.
The Minister also said that based on the success of the project, the main international airports will be opened for commercial passengers as well during the month of January. He said opening the airports was essential for the economy as nearly three million people were directly and indirectly affected by the downturn in tourism.
Major General (Rtd) G. A. Chandrasiri, Chairman of AASL, said “as the civil airport operator, Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited – has made all required arrangements to facilitate the international flights and international tourists. These arrangements have been made according to the health guidelines of the Health Authorities. Despite the challenges of COVID-19 global pandemic, moving ahead with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s vision ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’, the AASL is geared up to develop and promote the international airports in Sri Lanka. Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) has been identified as a key strategic international airport that has great potential to be developed as one of the most preferred exotic tourism-based destinations soon”.
SkyUp Airlines commenced operations in May 2018 and is headquartered in Ukraine. Its main hub is the Boryspil International Airport (KBP) which is located 29 km east of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. SkyUp has been continuously expanding its route map and currently operates scheduled and charter flights to over 25 countries.
The Airline’s fleet consists of 11 Aircraft which is also the youngest fleet among Airlines in Ukraine with an average age of 11.5 years. SkyUp Airlines operates an all-economy Class cabin and offers tailor-made Airfares for passengers based on their travel needs. SkyUp Airlines is represented by Acorn Aviation (Private) Limited in Sri Lanka, which has been in the business of representing Airlines in the capacity of a General Sales Agent for Passenger and Cargo sales over the past two decades.
Meanwhile, immediate past Chairman of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators ( SLAITO) Mahen Kariyawasam told the Daily News that the Association was pleased to note the opening of the borders for tourism. He thanked the Government and the people who worked tirelessly to overcome the difficulties. We are pleased to see the arrival of tourists from Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Russia.
“The brave initiatives taken by the tour operators to promote Sri Lanka are commendable. We are confident that the hoteliers will endeavour to follow the health guidelines to make this pilot project a success.”
