Sri Lanka rolls out 20 more self check-in counters at main airport
EconomyNext: Sri Lanka is rolling out 20 additional self check-in counters at its main Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) through the ground handling service provider of state-run SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier said in a statement.
Airport and Ground Services, the sole ground services provider at BIA is in the process of rolling out its self-check-in service for passengers of customer airlines ahead of the winter travel high season, which is expected to bring over 300,000 tourists to the island in December alone.
“The initiative, made possible by the airline’s IT team, follows the installation of 20 new self-check-in kiosks at the departure terminal last month, bringing the total to 28 and boosting airport efficiency and the overall passenger experience in line with Sri Lanka’s tourism development efforts,” SriLankan said in a statement.
“Since its launch in 2023, the self-check-in kiosk facility has seen a strong uptake, with an increasing number of travellers opting for self-service over traditional counters. Currently, 15% of SriLankan’s passengers flying out of BIA use the kiosks, helping ease congestion at the departure terminal.”
The facility has enabled passengers to bypass queues and complete their check-in independently by selecting seats, printing boarding passes and generating bag tags in just a few simple steps.
Our enhanced self-check-in facilities will further support the airport’s capacity enhancement efforts, while reaffirming SriLankan Airlines’ prominent position in advancing digital airport solutions in the region,” Deepal Pallegangoda, Head of Airport and Ground Services of SriLankan Airlines said in a statement.
“Singapore Airlines is set to be the first foreign carrier to adopt the self-check-in kiosk facility for their passengers flying from Colombo, and we hope to see more airlines come onboard soon.”
Sri Lanka’s main gateway, BIA in Katunayake, has undergone several expansions to keep pace with the country’s tourism and aviation recovery ambitions.
As of 2025, the airport’s current operational passenger handling capacity stands at approximately 9–10 million passengers per annum across its three terminals (Terminal 1: 6 million, Terminal 2: 1.5 million, Terminal 3: 2 million).
The airport handled a peak of 10.7 million passengers in 2018 and is now targeting 15 million passengers per year once the ongoing terminal expansion and new apron works are fully commissioned by 2027–2028.
In the first nine months of 2025, BIA recorded over 8.1 million passengers, reflecting a strong rebound and operating close to its current maximum capacity during peak seasons.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic expansion and the development programme have presented many business/investment opportunities covering all key economic sectors. With the increase in economic activities and expansions in key economic sectors, Sri Lanka needs upgrading its infrastructure and supplementary infrastructure facilities as well as the technologies to be on par with the fast-evolving global standards. One of the key areas undergoing much development is the airport and aviation industry. As a key entry point into the country, Sri Lanka’s airports are required to be on par with global standards to meet the requirements of the increasing demands of foreign travelers. While Sri Lanka’s main airport at Katunayake is undergoing an expansion programme while also working on upgrading technologies in handling the increasing number of passengers, there is a continuing demand to further increase and expand the facilities at the airport. This development has created many business/investment opportunities. Also, given Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic expansion and the need to further strengthen domestic connectivity as well as regional connectivity, there are also emerging business/investment opportunities in the development of domestic airports to regional standards. All these factors indicate an increasing business potential in Sri Lanka’s airport and aviation industry that in turn presents many lucrative business ventures for foreign businesses/investors, which they could also engage in through local collaborations.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20251117/Z_1 |