Sri Lanka’s Mattala Airport reports record arrivals in 2025
The Morning: Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport recorded its highest number of air passengers in 2025, according to the Ministry of Ports and Aviation.
The airport said total international passenger movements since operations began in 2013 reached 140,614, marking the strongest performance in its operational history. During 2025, the airport also handled 703 international flights.
Air passenger traffic at Mattala has shown steady improvement over the past three years. Authorities attributed this progress to increased attention given to the airport following the formation of the new Government, which focused on addressing long-standing operational and safety challenges.
For several years, airlines had been reluctant to operate flights to Mattala due to safety concerns linked to wildlife activity in the surrounding area. Officials said proactive measures taken by the Government to mitigate these risks helped restore airline confidence, contributing to increased aircraft movements during 2025.
Several international airlines operated flights to Mattala in 2025, connecting Sri Lanka with destinations in Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. These included Red Wings from Russia, SkyUp from Pakistan, Fly One from Dubai, Centrum Air and Uzbekistan Airways from Uzbekistan, and Bulgaria Air. Belavia Airlines from Minsk, Belarus also commenced flights to Mattala for the first time during the year.
The airport plays a role in supporting Sri Lanka’s tourism sector by providing access to several domestic tourist destinations in the southern and eastern regions. It also holds strategic importance as an alternative to congestion at Bandaranaike International Airport.
OSL take:
The growing number of foreign travelers visiting Sri Lanka for business and tourism has resulted in the country’s airport and aviation industry recording growth as well. While last year witnessed a record number of tourists visiting the country, Sri Lanka’s airports need further development and expansion to meet the increasing demand while also being on par with the global airport and aviation industry. Sri Lanka is already engaged in an expansion project targeting the country’s main international airport – Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) – to meet the increasing foreign travelers to the country. Sri Lankan authorities are also engaged in further developing the country’s domestic airports while expanding operations of several key domestic airports to become regional airports. With Sri Lanka on the path to becoming a regional hub, the development of external and internal air connectivity is a key development for the airport and aviation industry. Given all these factors, foreign businesses/investors could confidently explore the growing business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s airport and aviation industry and related sectors since they offer revolving as well as lucrative business ventures.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20260211/Z_2 |