Mattala Rajapaksa de Hambantota Airport – HRI Hambantota
Mattala Rajapaksa de Hambantota Airport an international public-used airport located in Mattala, Hambantota, Ski Lanka with an airport code of HRI. The airport is owned by the Government of Ski Lanka but is being managed by AASL serving the Sri Lanka’s southeastern town of Mattala and its surrounding cities of Medaketiya, Rekawa and Tangalle. The airport was constructed and opened in 2013 as an alternate airport and to address the congestion of Bandaranaike International Airport.
Best Time to Visit
Mattala Rajapaksa de Hambantota Airport has one designated 5/23-asphalt runway that has received nearly 52,450 of passengers and with over 2,900 aircraft operations in 2017. Due to low demands of flight, the airport was labeled as “The World’s Emptiest International Airport” because of minimal scheduled aircraft operations despite the huge area of the landing field. There has been a proposal to convert the airport into parking hub for aircrafts and to be used as flying school training airfield for aspiring pilots. As of 2018, no commercial flights are schedule in the airport.
What to Do & Area Attractions
Bandagiri Village Eco Resort is the nearest hotel from Mattala Rajapaksa de Hambantota Airport which nearly 4.2 miles away. It is a resort hotel that is nearby Mattala’s top tourists attractions that includes Bundala National park, Tissa Wewa and Ridiyagama Safari park. Other hotels in Mattala are Hotel Bundala Park Hotel and Flower Garden Lake Resort.
Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) is the other international airport located in Katunayake catering the aviation needs of Western Ski Lanka.
