The Sri Lankan government has requested Alliance Air, which recently upgraded the frequency of flight services on the Chennai-Jaffna-Chennai sector from four days a week to every day, to extend the services to Ratmalana near Colombo.
The spokesperson of Alliance Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of AI Assets Holding Limited (an undertaking of the Government of India), said a feasibility study was to be carried out on the extension.
In December last year, the company resumed operations to Jaffna with a carrying capacity of 72 passengers per flight. The one-way fare, inclusive of all taxes, is around ₹8,500 at present. “However, we follow dynamic pricing, which depends on demand and seasonality,” the spokesperson said.
Welcoming the development, Ayathurai Santhan, a bilingual creative writer from Jaffna, said the authorities should take steps for operating services from Tiruchi and Madurai to Jaffna. “I also request them to reduce the present fare to Chennai,” he said.
S. Niranjan Nanthagopan, a Singapore-based entrepreneur with roots in Jaffna and managing director of IndSri Ferry Services, said the daily services would come in handy for those keen on attending the annual Nallur Kandasamy temple festival, to be held in the second half of August. However, for sustaining the passenger traffic, tour operators will have to play a key role.
Though locals or those hailing from Jaffna are investing in the hospitality sector, the investment is happening in a sporadic manner. “What is required is the presence of chains of hotels, targeting middle-income groups. This will regulate the sector,” the entrepreneur said.
