Colombo, January 14 (Daily Mirror) -The ongoing transformation of Hingurakgoda runway is progressing towards meeting international aviation standards, with the goal of accommodating the widely used A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft, the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) said.
The SLAF has taken the lead in designing and constructing the runway, following consultations with key stakeholders.
The Road Development Authority (RDA) is tasked with reviewing the SLAF’s designs, while the Civil Aviation Authority and Airports and Aviation Sri Lanka are responsible for setting guidelines and regulatory frameworks through a Cabinet memorandum.
The project was officially inaugurated on 19 August 2024 by the Special Project Management Unit of the SLAF.
The ambitious initiative is structured in four phases, with the first phase focusing on the construction of the main runway. This phase includes seven stages, and with initial funding, stages one and two have been completed, resulting in an asphalt binder course over 850 metres of the total 2,500-metre runway.
Before proceeding with the final asphalt layer, the RDA consultant team recommended a test landing on the completed 850-metre section.
The test landing took place on on Monday, with a Y-12 aircraft successfully piloted by Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force.
This achievement marked a significant milestone for the project, with key figures such as Air Vice Marshal Sumedha Silva, Director of the Special Project Management Unit, and Air Commodore Dinesh Jayaweera, Base Commander of the SLAF Base Hingurakgoda, in attendance.
The SLAF said that the next phase of the project, which involves extending the runway by another 850 metres, will begin on January 15.
The initiative, with approval from the President, is aimed at completing the full 2,500-metre runway to meet the operational needs of larger aircraft.
