Opening the airport, Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Air Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama observed the ceremonial landing of an Air Force Y-12 transport plane as the first state aircraft.

The LTTE built the airstrip to launch their home-built aircraft to launch air attacks on vital targets in Colombo and other areas in the south.

The new airstrip, referred as the Kilinochchi Airstrip, will enable SLAF’s Helitours to carry out routine commercial flights to Kilinochchi from the Ratmalana Air Base.