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Thirty-six hours after a group of LTTE rebels attacked Sri Lanka’s only civilian airport the country was back to normal. The airport was closed Tuesday due to the pre-dawn attack by Tamil tiger rebels, which destroyed three Airbus passenger aircraft and damaged three others. All were parked on the Apron at the Bandaranaike International Airport 35 km north of Colombo. Sri Lankan Airlines CEO Peter Hill said, “This marked the most challenging incident in the 20-year history of the airline industry in Sri Lanka.” The Sri Lankan airline staff cooperated with military staff and evacuated passengers swiftly to the neighbouring hotels after the attack began. Injured persons including foreign nationals were admitted to the neighbouring government hospitals for further treatment. Operations at the Bandaranaike International Airport were suspended immediately and security forces reinforcements rushed to the area with fire brigades. Government imposed a curfew in towns surrounding the area as security personnel began search operations. “Our headquarters at the World Trade Centre in Colombo was manned from 5.30 in the morning (Tuesday) and it has been manned constantly ever since, to make effective contacts with the local and the international media,” said Chief Executive Officer Peter Hill in a statement issued Wednesday. Inbound flights to Colombo were diverted to airports in other countries following the rebel attack. The airport was cleared for operations by noon Wednesday and the first flight touched down at 4.45 pm. Sri Lankan Airlines lost half its fleet in the attack. “Like any international airline, we insure our fleet to international aviation standards. This means that the aircraft are fully insured for replacement,” said Hill. “So I imagine in a week or two’s time, we’ll be in a better position to give you an answer on just how best our insurance has stood up to the losses we have incurred. But I believe we’ll be well covered for those losses,” Hill added. “I can only say that the tourist industry in Sri Lanka on this occasion has risen far above our expectations. The Tourist Board has been magnificent, the hoteliers, the tour operators, the ground operators, the travel industry has offered us support and I feel proud to be working in Sri Lanka, along with my colleagues here, they stepped in when we most needed them. I give full credit to them. They are right behind us and I think with this sort of support it won’t belong before Sri Lankan airlines and the leisure industry in Sri Lanka bounces back once more to be the paradise it has always been known as,” concluded Hill. Eight military aircraft were destroyed as the rebels began their attack from the Air Force Base adjoining the airport.
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