Around 35 to 40 parties have indicated interest in the Government’s plan to secure a joint venture partner for Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), with the exact number to be known once formal proposals are submitted, The Daily Morning learns.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (28), Deputy Civil Aviation Minister Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku said the level of interest shown by prospective parties was significantly higher than during the previous Expressions of Interest (EOI) process conducted under the former Government.
“There were around 35 to 40 parties that attended the pre-brief meetings in recent months. During the last EOI process under the previous Government, only one or two parties showed interest. This time, around 40 have indicated that they are interested, although we will know the exact number once the proposals are received. The deadline for the submissions has not yet ended,” he said.
Kodithuwakku also said the Airport had undergone a significant transformation over the past year, making it far more attractive to potential investors.”When we assumed office, the MRIA had almost turned into a jungle. Elephant fences had been damaged, wildlife was moving within the airport premises and flight operations could not be carried out safely. During the past year, we completed the required renovations, established a wildlife office and obtained certification confirming that the airport is free from wildlife risks. It has now been converted into a fully operational airport,” he said.
Earlier this year, the Government invited EOIs from interested parties as part of plans to identify a joint venture partner to operate MRIA and steer the airport towards profitability. Speaking previously to The Daily Morning, Kodithuwakku said that the Airport had failed to generate the expected returns since its establishment and continued to incur annual losses of around Rs. 3 billion, roughly equivalent to its operating costs. He said that after restoring the Airport to a condition suitable for safe operations, the Government’s focus had shifted towards making the facility commercially viable. Although MRIA has the capacity to handle around one million passengers annually, he said that its highest passenger throughput was recorded only in 2025, when approximately 150,000 passengers travelled through the airport.
MRIA, located in Hambantota, has long been the subject of debate due to its low utilisation and high maintenance costs despite being built to ease congestion at Bandaranaike International Airport and promote regional development.