India has no interest in the Mattala Airport

Colombo (News1st) : The Civil Aviation Ministry of India has announced that there is no proposal under consideration for the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to buy a controlling stake in Sri Lanka's Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport. The Indian Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha had made this statement to the Indian Parliament on Thursday (July 26th), in response to a question raised by BJP member Poonam Mahajan. Jayant Sinha also refuted claims that the AAI was planning on building a flying school and a maintenance, repair and overhaul unit at the Mattala airport. Convenor of the Voice against Corruption Wasantha Samarasinghe voiced his concerns about the Government's plans for the Mattala airport. He believes that the Government is planning on selling the Mattala airport to a private firm and not to a AAI as claimed by Minister of Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva.