Sri Lanka will go ahead with a deal with India to handover the island nation's loss-making Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota, the Joint Opposition said yesterday. The USD 210 million facility, 241-km south-east of Colombo, is dubbed the "world's emptiest airport" due to a lack of flights.

"We met the Minister of Civil Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva this morning to try and stop the sale of the airport to India. He told us that the government has taken the final decision to sell it," said Mahindananda Aluthgamage, a Joint Opposition legislator. A delegation of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa-led Joint Opposition had toured the Mattala airport yesterday.