<p>Sri Lanka will resume flights from the northern Jaffna peninsula to Chennai by next week, a senior minister has said, a move that will help the cash-strapped country's tourism sector and provide a fillip to its beleaguered economy.</p>.<p>The <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/economy-business/sri-lanka-earns-over-1129-million-this-year-as-revenues-through-tourism-1168620.html" target="_blank">tourism sector</a> is the main source of foreign exchange earnings for Sri Lanka.</p>.<p>However, the onset of the pandemic in 2020 severely crippled the tourism sector and was one of the major reasons for Sri Lanka's economic travails.</p>.<p>The island nation's earnings from international tourist arrivals for November touched $107.5 million, with the cumulative tally in the first eleven months of the year notching up a whopping $1129.4 million, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.</p>.<p><b>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/sri-lanka-puts-the-ball-back-in-india-s-court-on-tamil-minority-issue-1168220.html" target="_blank">Sri Lanka ‘puts’ the ball back in India’s court on Tamil minority issue</a></b></p>.<p>"The flights to India from Palaly will resume soon, most probably by December 12," Sri Lanka's Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told Parliament on Monday.</p>.<p>Flights will be operational between Jaffna and Chennai, the minister said.</p>.<p>"There are still some improvements to the runway that are needed," he added.</p>.<p>The present runway can only accommodate 75-seater flights.</p>.<p>The airport was named the Jaffna international airport in October 2019.</p>.<p>The first international flight to land there was from Chennai.</p>.<p>The 2019 redevelopment of the airport was funded by both Sri Lanka and India.</p>.<p>Earlier, India's Alliance, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India, operated three weekly flights from Chennai to Palaly.</p>.<p>However, after the government changed in Sri Lanka in November 2019, flight operations were halted.</p>.<p>Sri Lanka is currently facing its worst economic crisis since its independence from Britain in 1948.</p>.<p>There have been street protests in Sri Lanka against the government since early April due to its mishandling of the economic crisis.</p>.<p>In September, the IMF announced a $2.9 billion bailout package to help the country tide over its worst economic crisis.</p>.<p>A crippling shortage of foreign reserves has led to long queues for fuel, cooking gas, and other essentials while power cuts and soaring food prices have heaped misery on the people.</p>
<p>Sri Lanka will resume flights from the northern Jaffna peninsula to Chennai by next week, a senior minister has said, a move that will help the cash-strapped country's tourism sector and provide a fillip to its beleaguered economy.</p>.<p>The <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/economy-business/sri-lanka-earns-over-1129-million-this-year-as-revenues-through-tourism-1168620.html" target="_blank">tourism sector</a> is the main source of foreign exchange earnings for Sri Lanka.</p>.<p>However, the onset of the pandemic in 2020 severely crippled the tourism sector and was one of the major reasons for Sri Lanka's economic travails.</p>.<p>The island nation's earnings from international tourist arrivals for November touched $107.5 million, with the cumulative tally in the first eleven months of the year notching up a whopping $1129.4 million, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.</p>.<p><b>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/sri-lanka-puts-the-ball-back-in-india-s-court-on-tamil-minority-issue-1168220.html" target="_blank">Sri Lanka ‘puts’ the ball back in India’s court on Tamil minority issue</a></b></p>.<p>"The flights to India from Palaly will resume soon, most probably by December 12," Sri Lanka's Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told Parliament on Monday.</p>.<p>Flights will be operational between Jaffna and Chennai, the minister said.</p>.<p>"There are still some improvements to the runway that are needed," he added.</p>.<p>The present runway can only accommodate 75-seater flights.</p>.<p>The airport was named the Jaffna international airport in October 2019.</p>.<p>The first international flight to land there was from Chennai.</p>.<p>The 2019 redevelopment of the airport was funded by both Sri Lanka and India.</p>.<p>Earlier, India's Alliance, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India, operated three weekly flights from Chennai to Palaly.</p>.<p>However, after the government changed in Sri Lanka in November 2019, flight operations were halted.</p>.<p>Sri Lanka is currently facing its worst economic crisis since its independence from Britain in 1948.</p>.<p>There have been street protests in Sri Lanka against the government since early April due to its mishandling of the economic crisis.</p>.<p>In September, the IMF announced a $2.9 billion bailout package to help the country tide over its worst economic crisis.</p>.<p>A crippling shortage of foreign reserves has led to long queues for fuel, cooking gas, and other essentials while power cuts and soaring food prices have heaped misery on the people.</p>