Mattala’s annual loss revealed before the President

A special discussion on the progress of the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation in 2026 and the Budget allocations for 2027 took place on July 15 at the Presidential Secretariat, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The Mattala Airport currently incurs a loss of about 6 to 7 million rupees per day, which amounts to approximately 4 billion rupees annually, the meeting revealed.

Alternative proposals to overcome this situation were presented to the president, the President’s Media Division (PMD) stated in a release.

Investment proposals for the Mattala Airport are currently called, and the related activities can be completed by 2027, the meeting noted.

The discussion reviewed the performance of the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation and the entities under its perview, including the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Pvt) Limited (AASL), Ceylon Shipping Corporation (CSCL), SriLankan Airlines (SLA), SriLankan Catering, Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL), Merchant Shipping Secretariat, Sri Lanka Ports Management and Consultancy Services (Pvt) Ltd, and Jaya Container Terminals Limited (JCT), whilst also examining the progress of projects implemented under the 2026 Budget allocations and the 2027 Budget proposals.

The president reviewed the progress of development projects under the Ports Authority, including the Sri Lanka Port Development Programme and the Kankesanthurai Port rehabilitation, which are funded through assistance from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the Indian government.

Extensive discussions also focused on the Logistics Park at the Colombo Port, the extension of the breakwater at the South Port, the implementation of the second phase of the West Terminal, and the digitalisation of all operations to increase efficiency.

Officials briefed the president on the development plan to increase the efficiency of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake, which is scheduled for completion in three years to suit the next 30 years, aiming to raise the annual passenger capacity to 24.2 million by the year 2055.

Under the second phase of the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport development project, plans are in place to complete the expansion of the arrival and departure terminals, construction of the new terminal, and depot expansion activities within the year 2027, the PMD stated.

The president also pointed out the need to make passenger transport services associated with the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport systematic and efficient.

Collaborative work with the Ministry of Digital Technology is underway to digitalise all airport services, the meeting further revealed.

The current status of development activities at domestic airports, including Hingurakgoda, received attention during the meeting, and the president instructed the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation and the Sri Lanka Air Force to conduct a joint review and prepare an evaluation report on the requirements of each airport, whilst establishing a more efficient mechanism in coordination with the Air Force when conducting civil passenger operations at those airports.

Meanwhile, modernisation of the Jaffna Airport passenger terminal and improvement of its facilities are already underway, the meeting revealed.

The relevant institutions must utilise their financial strength and manage funds required for future development projects to provide maximum contribution to the state treasury without becoming a burden on public tax money, the president further pointed out.