The Airport Authority of India (AAI) is carrying out a feasibility study of the airport in Palaly, on the Jaffna peninsula, in order for it to be developed as a regional airport, The Sunday Times reported.
India has previously supported development of the air base, including the reconstruction of the runway.
Currently the facility is operated by the Sri Lankan Air Force and used for military and civilian in-country flights.
According to the paper, the AAI's feasibility report will be submitted to the Sri Lankan government soon.
Tamils in the North-East have long demanded for direct international travel connections from the region, particularly to neighbouring Tamil Nadu. At the moment, Tamils who want to cross the narrow Palk Strait, separating the traditional Tamil homeland on the island from Tamil Nadu, have to travel via Colombo. In the past, ferry services and flights used to operate between the historically and culturally linked regions.
