The Civil Aviation Department says it is talking to the Ministry of Defence and Airport authorities to issue the permits.rn
rnCommercial helicopter services were banned in the late 1980s due the then intensifying civil war between the LTTE and government forces. rn
rnSenior Civil Aviation Department officials say the five firms are looking to setup operations in time for the coming winter season. rn
rnWith 14 airstrips around Sri Lanka now open for commercial service as peace efforts to end the 20 year civil war amble along, officials say high spending tourists would look for convenience when travelling within the country.rn
rnHowever, officials say other small aircraft operators, who battled to fly to Jaffna have not shown keen interest to fly to other destinations.rn
rnIndustry officials say except for Jaffna, other locations were commercially unviable due to a lack of demand for services to those destinations. rn
rnldblquote Even demand for Jaffna flights is slowly loosing steam, which coul