By Zacki Jabbar
Monara airlines has requested the government to lift the ban on civilian flights to Jaffna imposed on Thursday, following the shooting down of a Lionair plane by the LTTE shortly after take off from the Palaly airbase on Tuesday.

General Manager of the airline Shanaka Herath said that their request to the authorities to resume flights was made no sooner they got to know of the Defence Ministry ban on Thursday.

"I wrote to the Defence Secretary Chandrananda de Silva and Tourism and Aviation minister Dharma-siri Senanayake. I also spoke to Deputy Director Civil Aviation regarding our request but we have had no response so far", he said last night.

Monara Airlines Chairman Rohan Wijeratne said that they are ready to resume operations at any time.

" The government should start making use of us soon .If the safe route or the sea corridor is used there is no way the Tigers can touch us".

Wijeratne said that a large number of Sri Lankan Tamils living abroad come to Colombo because they know that there are two private airlines in which they could travel to Jaffna to see their kith and kin".

" If not for Monara and Lionair I do not think they would make the trip here. There are 700 passengers on the waiting list to Jaffna and 800 from Jaffna to Colombo. I wish the government would resume flights to Jaffna in the interest of innocent Tamils".

Wijeratne denied that his airline transports arms and ammunition for the security forces in the North. But he admitted that they do transport security forces personnel in civils.

"We have agreed to transport troops , foodstuffs and personal cargo when the government requires our service. We do this on a charter basis. We have to help our country in times of need".

Wijeratne stressed that his airline and Lionair have no differences whatsoever.

"In the circumstances I commend the efforts of Lionair Chairman Chandran Ratnam who is doing his best to provide a trouble free service" he added.