July 15, Colombo: Sri Lanka government is considering developing domestic airports in the Eastern Province aiming to provide facilities to the visiting Commonwealth heads of states to tour in the East.

Sri Lanka will host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2013 that will bring the leaders of 54 member countries of the Commonwealth to the island.

Minister of Civil Aviation Priyankara Jayaratne has said that the government plans to develop Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee airports to have the capacity to handle MA 60 airplanes.

The runway of the Batticaloa airport is to be extended under the project. Trincomalee airport is to be developed to handle military and civil aircrafts separately.

CHOGM 2013 will be the largest international event at the level of Heads of State Sri Lanka will be hosting since the 5th Summit of the Non Aligned Movement Sri Lanka hosted in 1976.