The National Security Council has grounded all helicopter and floatplane operations that were given the recent go-ahead, until further notice.
ldblquote The Security Council has suspended helicopters and float plane operations and they are yet to get back to us as to when they can resume, dblquote Secretary to the Civil Aviation Ministry, Cecil Amerasinghe told Lanka Business Online on Friday. rn
rnHelicopter flights were first suspended in 1995, until a ceasefire agreement between the Government and the LTTE in 2002, opened discussions again. rn
rnEight firms had applied for helicopter operation licences last October, with Indian based Deccan Aviation on the verge of getting clearance. rn
rnSriLankan Airlines began its amphibious floatplane operations in December, and had already completed six commercial flights to Victoria, Bentota and Koggala, before it was grounded. rn
rnWith a pier at the Bandaranaike Airport at Katunayake, a journey by floatplane was expected to cut tedious travel time t