SRI LANKA: SRI LANKA'S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REOPENS ONE DAY AFTER A SUICIDE ATTACK BY TAMIL TIGER REBELS DESTROYED PASSENGER JETS
Record ID:
647432
SRI LANKA: SRI LANKA'S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REOPENS ONE DAY AFTER A SUICIDE ATTACK BY TAMIL TIGER REBELS DESTROYED PASSENGER JETS
- Title: SRI LANKA: SRI LANKA'S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REOPENS ONE DAY AFTER A SUICIDE ATTACK BY TAMIL TIGER REBELS DESTROYED PASSENGER JETS
- Date: 25th July 2001
- Summary: (W5) COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (JULY 25,2001) (COLOMBO, SRI LANKA) 1. LV OF PLANE LANDING 0.28 2. SV STAIRS MOVING TO PLANE 0.38 3. SLV/LV/SV PASSENGERS GETTING OFF PLANE (3 SHOTS) 1.13 4. SLV/MCU/SV INSIDE AIRPORT PASSENGERS WAITING TO CHECK IN (3 SHOTS) 1.29 5. MCU (English) BRITISH TOURIST TONY HEWITT SAYING: [REPORTER ASKS: HOW LONG WERE YOU IN SRI LANKA?] "In Sri Lanka, two weeks." [REPORTER ASKS: WOULD YOU COME BACK AFTER WHAT HAPPENED?] "Yes." [REPORTER ASKS: WHY?] "Because I love the country. It's a beautiful country. I've really had a beautiful holiday, and this is something that happens all over the world not just here in Sri Lanka." 1.49 6. SLV OF PASSENGERS QUEUING (2 SHOTS) 1.55 7. MCU (English) SWEDISH TOURIST ANJA ROSEN EDUNG SAYING: "Maybe I'm not coming back, but I really like the country, so I really hope I can come back." 2.02 8. LV OF AIRPORT LOUNGE 2.05 9. MCU (English) BRITISH TOURIST KELLY EWINGS SAYING: [REPORTER ASKS: WITH WHAT HAPPENED AT THE AIRPORT WILL YOU BE COMING BACK TO SRI LANKA IN A HURRY?] "Not in a hurry, but I will be back. When everything is settled down, and calmed down a bit, yes." [REPORTERS ASKS: HOW LONG WERE YOU IN SRI LANKA FOR?] "Two weeks." [REPORTER ASKS: DID YOU ENJOY YOUR STAY?] "Fantastic! I had a great time! It just spoils it when something like this happens. But never mind. We were well looked after." 2.34 10. CLOSE OF DEPARTURE SCREEN 2.43 11. SLV OFFICIALS STANDING AROUND ON RUNWAY 2.48 12. SLV/LV REMNANTS OF ONE OF AEROPLANES WHICH WAS ATTACKED ON TUESDAY (2 SHOTS) 3.02 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th August 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
- Country: Sri Lanka
- Reuters ID: LVAELFRLT2QHIKVGFZDA9W5KC7QZ
- Story Text: Sri Lanka's only international airport reopens one day
after a suicide attack by Tamil Tiger rebels destroyed
passenger jets and closed the airport, stranding several
thousand tourists.
Sri Lanka's national carrier resumed flying on
Wednesday (July 25) but said it would be a struggle initially
to meet existing schedules after half its fleet was destroyed
or damaged in a rebel attack.
The pre-dawn attack by separatist rebels on an air force
base and adjoining international airport on Tuesday destroyed
one Airbus A340, two Airbus A330s and damaged three others,
causing estimated damage of more than 350 million U.S.
dollars.
SriLankan Airlines think that it will take them a week
before the airport and all flights resume their routine
schedules.
The airline is said to not be rushing out to buy or lease
any planes, including from Dubai's Emirates airline, which
owns 40 percent of SriLankan. They will be using only six
planes in the near future. Some passengers may be placed on
other airlines to travel.
The airline's first flight, UL 679 with 160 passengers
from Sydney, landed on Wednesday, and after refuelling was to
head for Zurich.
The flight had been diverted to Madras in India just
before it was to have landed at almost the exact time the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels launched an
attack early on Tuesday (July 24) at the airport about 30 km
(20 miles) north of Colombo.
At least 13 Tamil rebels and seven military personnel were
killed in the attack, military officials said.
The damaged planes have bullet holes in their fuselage,
and inspectors are flying in to look at them.
Airline officials said the company was fully insured, but
their main priority at the moment was working on clearing the
backlog of passengers and getting schedules set before dealing
with financial matters. They were grateful that no passengers
or staff were hurt.
The tourism industry -- already hard hit by the rebellion
-- is likely to be further affected by images and stories of
foreign visitors having to crawl to safety during the attack
on the airport.
An estimated 64,000 people have died in the ethnic
conflict, centred on rebels fighting for an independent state
in the north and east of the island.
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