Question

Why was the ‘Mattala airport’ of Sri Lanka recently in the news?

• A. The Hambantota deal between China and Sri Lanka also included transfer of stake in this airport lying close to the deep sea port
• B. India is building the airport in North Eastern Province of Sri Lanka as part of the latter’s post-war reconstruction efforts
• C. Built by China in the waters off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, it consists of two runways, one of which is believed to have been constructed to serve the Chinese Air Force in the near future
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is D None of the above

1. India has expressed interest to operate Sri Lanka’s second international airport situated in Mattala, about 40 km from the southern town of Hambantota, where China has majority stake in a strategic port it built.
2. The development comes less than a fortnight after Sri Lanka signed a $1.1 billion deal with China, giving the state-run China Merchants Port Holdings a 70% stake in a joint venture to run the port. Additionally, Colombo also roped in China to help develop an industrial zone in the adjoining land, spanning some 15,000 acres.
3. With India expressing interest to run the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) nearby, Hambantota appears poised to become a hub of rival strategic interests in the Indian Ocean region