JAFFNA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO RECEIVE RS. 600 MILLION TERMINAL

The Jaffna International Airport in Palaly is set to get a new terminal building, with a potential runway expansion also under consideration.

Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku confirmed that the government has begun the tender process to select a contractor for the terminal, which will be fully funded at an estimated cost of Rs. 600 million.

While no formal timeline has been fixed, Kodithuwakku expressed optimism that the terminal could be completed within two years.

The proposed runway extension remains in the preliminary phase, pending a feasibility study, with no procurement yet initiated.

The Deputy Minister also clarified that the airport would remain under government control, unlike the previous administration’s approach with Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport. The Jaffna International Airport, originally Palaly Airport, spans 359 acres and saw its first flight to India on 10 December 1947.