Fears of winter season Covid surge puts off BIA reopening

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga expressed optimism of reopening the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for regular travel within the first few months of next year (2021) based on the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO).

He said that it was not possible to look at an early reopening of the BIA following a warning by the WHO that the Covid-19 pandemic could surge in December with the onset of the winter season in Europe and other countries.

“We have to be cautious under the circumstances and further delay reopening of the airport”, the Minister noted.

Ranatunga further said that countries which kept their airports open at the time the coronavirus erupted had to suffer theconsequences.

“They had to pay a heavy price with thousands of lives lost and their economies plunging into deep contraction”, he added.