Sri Lanka has decided to waive off parking and landing costs for international flights when the country resumes its skies by this month end after being shut down for over eight months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was made on Tuesday by a Cabinet approval. Sri Lankan Tourism Minister has given this proposal and the Cabinet approved the proposal by the tourism minister to waive off landing and parking fees for all international airlines operating to the Colombo international airport and the Mahinda Rajapaksa international airport at Mattala in the southern district of Hambantota, according to a statement.
The Civil Aviation Authority made an announcement to open airports from December 26. Due to the crisis in the international airline industry the Cabinet nodded the Minister's proposal. Airlines were facing severe crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic and as an incentive, it was decided to waive off the costs for flights coming into Sri Lanka, the statement said. Since March, the two airports were shut for all international flights due to the restrictions imposed to combat the deadly virus.
Sri Lanka managed to protect itself from the severe infection but has seen a surge in the COVID-19 cases since early October with more than a six-fold increase. The country has recorded over 37,000 COVID-19 cases with 181 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins data.
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