Sri Lanka Airports

Japan's JESCO to install electric gear for Sri Lanka airport expansion

Japanese engineering and construction company JESCO Holdings Inc. has won a contract worth some 3.5 billion yen ($32.9 million) to install electrical equipment for the expanded portion of a terminal building at Bandaranaike International Airport in Sri Lanka. JESCO said Wednesday its wholly owned subsidiary, JESCO Co., has been awarded the contract by Japanese construction giant Taisei Corp., a main contractor for the airport improvement project involving the expansion of the existing terminal.

JESCO will be responsible for a main electrical network, outlets for lighting and a lighting protection system.

The expanded portion, a four-story building with a total floor space of 180,000 square meters, is scheduled for completion in December 2023


Bandaranaike International Airport terminal 2 scheduled for completion in December 2023

Sri Lanka to complain to Government of Japan on delay in Airport Development Project



Feb 21, Colombo: A decision has been made to lodge a complaint with the Government of Japan regarding the Japanese contractor who continues to delay the completion of the B package of the Bandaranaike International Airport Development Project.

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga instructed the Secretary to the Ministry to inform the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka regarding the delay in completion of the work at the progress review meeting of the Airport Development Project.

The progress review meeting of the project which commenced in November last year under the patronage of the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was held Friday (19) under the patronage of Minister Ranatunga at the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Conference Hall.

At the meeting, the Minister advised the relevant contractor that the work on this project should be completed on time and emphasized that the benefit of such development projects should be given to the country and the people and necessary steps should be taken for that.

The two-part project consisting of ‘Package A’ and ‘Package B’ is funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In 2014, the Government of Japan provided a loan of 74,394 million Japanese Yen (131.5 billion rupees) for the Bandaranaike International Airport Development Project following an agreement reached between then President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe.

The Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited will spend 21.645 billion rupees. The cost of the 'A' package is 108 billion rupees and the estimated cost of the B Package is Rs. 06 billion.

Under the first phase (Package A), buildings connected to the main terminal building, passenger bridges, storm water drainage system, elevated roads, electricity, water supply and sewerage system, combustion engines and integrated machinery, and a 5-storey car park will also be constructed. Under the second phase (Package B), the machinery, access road, retention pond and storm water drainage system will be constructed.

A Japanese contractor is in charge of the construction of this B package, which was launched on April 27, 2017. It was scheduled to be completed in October 2019.

Its construction was delayed due to various reasons and on several occasions the Airport and Aviation Services took steps to give it extra time. After the last extension, the project is expected to be completed and handed over in February this year.

During the discussion with the Minister, the Japanese contractor requested further time citing various reasons and the Minister refused the request.

"This is not an aid. It is a loan. We have already been given one and a half year to complete this project. We have to pay the debt without any income. We told several times to speed this up. But it’s being delayed citing various other reasons. This is public money. Therefore, we have a responsibility to see it is done properly. Therefore, we will lodge a complaint with your government. We will take further action accordingly,” the Minister strongly emphasized.

S. Hettiarachchi, Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, Madhava Devasurendra, Secretary to the State Ministry, Sunil Gunawardena, Additional Secretary, Major GA Chandrasiri, Chairman, Airport and Aviation Services, Rajiv Sooriyarachchi, Vice Chairman, and representatives of the Contractor and advisers were also present at the discussion.

Construction of first phase of BIA’s Export Terminal 2 commenced


The construction of the first phase of the Bandaranaike International Airport’s Export Terminal 2 commenced recently taking forward the airport development projects.

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunge stated at the occasion, “During the course of one or two years, when we have moved past the present pandemic, we will need to cater to the large amount of tourists arriving to Sri Lanka. We have now initiated the first phase to construct the second Export Terminal, which will help us achieve that goal and develop tourism in our country.”

State Minister of Aviation and Export Zones Development D. V. Chanaka stated, “The time allocated to pass through the Terminal has been reduced from three hours to one and a half hours at the Terminal 2, with the use of One-stop shops and scanners on both sides. The collective effort of the Airport and Aviation Services and the Civil Aviation authorities has been put into this project. This is expected to generate a revenue of Rs. 360 million for the Airport.”

It was further stated that an agreement has been reached with the relevant construction company to complete the project within 730 days.

Tourism reopening: 35 Airlines come on board


As Sri Lanka opened its shores for all international travellers from Thursday (21) onwards, 35 airlines have expressed their willingness to operate flights from and to Sri Lanka, according to Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga.

During a press conference held to mark the reopening of the country for all international travellers, Ranatunga stated that although prior to the pandemic about 80 airlines were operating to and from Sri Lanka, it might take a couple of months to get those airlines back on board.

“Sri Lanka tourism will take about six to seven months to recover,” Ranatunga added.

Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, the Capital of Sri Lanka is facing an enormous growth in air traffic. The existing runway and taxiways have been serving air traffic for almost 3 decades without interruption. August 2016 - December 2017 ( i found a video and i want to share)