Sri Lanka’s Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) marks its 12th anniversary today, but the underutilized facility is struggling with financial losses and minimal flight traffic, renewing calls for a strategic overhaul.
Opened on March 18, 2013, MRIA was intended to be the country’s second international gateway. However, despite its modern infrastructure, it has failed to attract sustainable air operations, with major airlines pulling out due to low passenger demand.
Former Civil Aviation Authority Chairman Upul Dharmadasa, who facilitated the landing of MRIA’s first commercial flight, said the airport still has potential if effectively positioned. Continued. Page 11
“Having a secondary airport is an advantage – it helps reduce insurance costs for airlines, including SriLankan Airlines,” said Dharmadasa, adding that MRIA could be repurposed as a maintenance and cargo hub to generate revenue.
Efforts to revive the loss-making airport include a potential management takeover.
Despite these efforts, the National Audit Office revealed in January that the US$247.7 million (Rs. 36.56 billion) spent on MRIA construction had not been used effectively. In 2023, the airport reported an operating loss of Rs. 2.12 billion (Rs. 6.8 million) and a revenue of Rs. 288 million.
Built to handle one million passengers annually, MRIA has handled only 190,750 passengers in the past six years, with only 2,182 flights recorded between 2018 and 2023. The cumulative net loss after tax for the period was Rs. 38.49 billion (Rs. 123 million).