The Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas has launched a petition calling for a direct flight service between London and Jaffna International Airport, citing the difficulty faced by British Tamil families making the journey to the North-East.
British Tamils have strong family, cultural and community ties to the region, the petition says, with travel to Jaffna meaning visiting relatives, attending weddings and funerals, taking part in religious festivals and maintaining connections across generations.
There are currently no direct flights between London and Jaffna. Passengers can fly to Colombo but must then travel a further 400km, taking six to seven hours by road or rail. That additional journey is particularly difficult for elderly passengers, families with young children and those travelling for important family occasions, the petition says.
A direct service would make journeys quicker, help families stay connected across generations, make travel more accessible for elderly relatives, support cultural and religious ties, and support tourism, investment and economic development in the North-East, it argues.
The petition calls on the British government, Sri Lankan authorities, airlines and London airports to work together to explore and support a viable service, and specifically asks the Department for Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority, airlines and London airports to secure one.
Thomas represents a constituency with one of the largest Tamil populations in Britain. Earlier this month he asked the Foreign Secretary whether the department had discussed with international partners the establishment of an independent international investigative mechanism for the Chemmani mass graves. The Foreign Office did not answer the question directly, saying it had “encouraged consideration of international assistance as excavations continue”.
A short runway and an occupied perimeter
Jaffna International Airport, formerly Palaly Airport, sits 16km north of Jaffna near Kankesanthurai. It was built by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and later taken over by the Sri Lanka Air Force, which used the base for the fleets that bombed the Tamil homeland throughout the armed conflict. It reopened to commercial flights in 2019 after decades of military use.
The airport’s single runway is 1,400 metres long. Long-haul aircraft capable of flying to London require substantially more, and services at present are limited to domestic flights from Colombo’s Ratmalana airport and routes to India, with IndiGo operating from Chennai. The Sri Lankan Airport Aviation Authority has been working to extend the runway, with Indian financial assistance.
That expansion is contested on the ground. The Sri Lankan government has issued written notices to acquire ancestral land at Myliddy for the airport’s expansion, which residents have refused to surrender, saying they will not accept alternative land or compensation. Land there was seized when residents were forcibly displaced in June 1990 and the area designated a High Security Zone, and the airport perimeter remains within it.
In July the deputy defence minister told the Sri Lankan parliament that the Civil Aviation Authority, through the Air Force, had advised that further land around the 774.98-acre airport would be required for future international aviation expansion, alongside 1,661 acres to be permanently acquired for military infrastructure and not returned to their Tamil owners.
Landowners in Valikamam North have protested weekly for months at Myliddy and at Palaly Junction, demanding the return of land held since their displacement.