Sri Lanka evaluating 19 proposals for Mattala International Airport
EconomyNext: Sri Lanka is currently evaluating 19 proposals to operationalize the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), with a Request for Proposals (RFP) expected to be issued within the next two months, Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku told EconomyNext.
“We have received 19 proposals. So, it’s being evaluated right now. I think within the next one to two months, we’ll be able to float an RFP once the qualified bidders are selected,” Kodithuwakku said.
The fresh push to commercialize the state-owned facility comes after a previous attempt to manage the airport failed.
The government had earlier entered into a management agreement with an Indian and Russian joint venture to operationalize the facility under a 30-year lease.
The deal aimed to convert the facility into a profitable entity through transit flights and specialized cargo operations but was later cancelled after both firms were blacklisted by the US State Department.
Inaugurated in March 2013 as Sri Lanka’s second international gateway, the airport was constructed with an investment of approximately 209 million US dollars, largely funded by loans from the Export-Import Bank of China.
Designed to handle one million passengers annually and featuring a 3,500-meter runway capable of accommodating large aircraft such as the Airbus A380, the facility was envisioned as a regional catalyst to support a tourism surge in the Southern province, a logistics hub, and a sea-air transshipment link with the nearby Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port, which is leased to China under a 99-year tenure.
Despite its high-tech infrastructure, the facility has consistently incurred financial losses, earning the moniker of the world’s emptiest international airport.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s expanding economy and renewed development drive are creating a growing pipeline of business/investment opportunities for foreign businesses/investors, particularly in projects aimed at strengthening the country’s connectivity and positioning it as an emerging business hub in the region. The Sri Lankan Government’s latest effort to commercialise MRIA is one example of the investment opportunities emerging around transport and external connectivity. With 19 proposals currently under evaluation and a Request for Proposals expected within the next one to two months, the airport could become a catalyst for wider investment in aviation, logistics, tourism and related services. Beyond aviation, Sri Lanka’s development programme offers business/investment opportunities in ports, logistics, highways, renewable energy, tourism, industrial development and digital infrastructure. Improved connectivity can in turn support export-oriented businesses and help international companies use Sri Lanka as a gateway to regional markets. For foreign businesses/investors, the combination of strategic location, improving connectivity and an economy moving towards expansion presents opportunities to participate not only in individual infrastructure projects, but also in the wider development of an increasingly connected and investment-oriented Sri Lankan economy.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20260818Z_3 |