SRI LANKA SEEKS NEW INVESTORS FOR MATTALA AIRPORT

The Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation has announced a fresh call for private sector expressions of interest to develop operations and infrastructure at the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA).

Deputy Minister Ruwan Kodithuwakku stated that a Cabinet paper will be submitted to formalise the process and attract new investors to the underutilised facility.

This move follows the abandonment of a previous agreement to hand over airport operations to a Russian-Indian joint venture.

That deal was scrapped due to concerns over national airspace sovereignty and one of the involved parties being subject to U.S. sanctions.

The Deputy Minister emphasised that the government will carefully evaluate all new proposals to select suitable investors for the airport's revitalisation.

MRIA currently incurs an annual loss of approximately Rs. 3 billion.