Former Boeing engineer Tilak Dissanayake has published an open note on Facebook, addressed to Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake, asking him to make use of the current  ‘pariah’ status of Qatar by asking them to use the airport at Mattala as a hub.

‘Given the chaos going on in the Middle East re: Qatar's new pariah status and potential operating airspace restrictions, why not offer Qatar Airways a deal to make Mattala their new hub?,’ Dissanayake asked in his post.

‘This represents a stunning opportunity for us to turn the "white elephant" into a "green elephant" that generates enormous foreign exchange for us. Not 10 years from now, but as soon as the ink dries on the contract,’ he said further.

‘So, please dispatch with all haste a team to Doha to sort out the details. And I am sure Qatar does not have those "no bribing foreign officials" vulgar restrictions that Western nations have, so this can be a lucrative opportunity for many people at many levels.’