Sri Lanka Airports

Its about time some renovations are being contemplated. The airport is in pretty poor shape - crowded and shabby with stained ceilings. Given that every passenger pays $60 to use the facility, the condition it is in is pretty shocking. We used to have the best airport by far in the region and now we can't hold a candle to airports such as BLR, BOM and DEL.

HI Guys,

Any alternative method to listen into Live VCBI ATC? LiveATC feed isnt up after 2024-Feb. Wonder what happened to it...

Chaos at BIA: Long queues, passengers nearly miss flights

Any update on Terminal 2 project?​

Makeshift Check-in Counters Under a Marquee at BIA to Handle Arrival Rush - Sunday Times Reports
With the technical evaluation of the two bids for the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) expansion still underway, the Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited (AASL) is introducing a temporary solution to manage the expected seasonal influx of passengers.

According to Sunday Times, AASL will set up additional makeshift check-in counters under a marquee to accommodate the surge in visitor arrivals. The marquee, provided by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), will be located in the “garden area” of the departure lounge and will feature 14 additional counters.

AASL Chairman Air Chief Marshal (Retd) Harsha Abeywickrema stated that the facility will be operational from early November and remain in place for approximately four months. He emphasized that this is an interim measure until the commencement of a separate project, already tender-awarded to permanently expand the number of check-in counters at BIA from 60 to 74 within the existing terminal space.

With a sharp increase in tourist arrivals and several airlines requesting additional flight slots for the upcoming winter season, the temporary setup is considered a crucial measure to ensure smooth and efficient passenger handling at Sri Lanka’s main international gateway.

Sri Lanka to Modernize Air Traffic Management with New Airfield Facility Complex at Ratmalana Airport

In a major step toward modernizing Sri Lanka’s aviation infrastructure, Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited (AASL) has announced that the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the awarding of the contract for the construction of a new Airfield Facility Complex at Colombo International Airport, Ratmalana (CIAR) to Sanken Constructions (Pvt.) Ltd.

Valued at Rs. 3,046.29 million (excluding VAT), the contract was awarded to the lowest responsive bidder based on recommendations from the Procurement Evaluation Committee and the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee.

This landmark project marks a transformative upgrade to the nation’s Air Traffic Management (ATM) infrastructure, enhancing safety, efficiency, and foreign exchange revenue while supporting Sri Lanka’s role in the Asia-Pacific Air Traffic Services Network.

Sri Lanka’s controlled airspace, covering an area nearly 27 times the size of the island, handles over 300 aircraft movements daily, generating over USD 11 million annually in overflying service charges. Currently, air traffic services are managed by the Colombo Area Control Centre (ACC) from an ageing colonial-era building at Ratmalana Airport.

The new multi-storey Air Navigation Complex will replace this outdated facility, introducing next-generation Air Traffic Management systems, advanced automation, and modern surveillance and communication technologies. It will also include a new control tower cabin offering an unobstructed 360-degree view of the aerodrome, significantly improving safety and operational efficiency at Ratmalana Airport.

Once completed, this project will position Sri Lanka as a competitive Air Navigation Service Provider in the region, contributing to economic growth, aviation safety and increased foreign exchange earnings.

BIA Terminal 2: New Japanese contractor to be appointed by Dec.

02 Nov 2025 | – By Shenal Fernando

2 Japanese firms submit bids for remaining works
Technical evaluation underway before financial review
Govt. to seek extra JICA funding to cover cost increase
Protective works by Access Engineering now completed
The Government is expected to appoint a new Japanese contractor for the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) Terminal 2 project by December and, based on the contractor’s bid amount, will seek additional financing from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to cover the funding gap arising from cost escalations.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku revealed that, under the terms of the funding facility provided by JICA, Sri Lanka was required to engage Japanese contractors.

Accordingly, bids were invited from interested Japanese contractors to complete the remaining works of the project.

He further revealed that they had received bids from two Japanese contractors, adding that they were carrying out the technical evaluation with regard to the same at present.

Commenting on the timeline for appointing the contractor and commencing work under the project, the Deputy Minister stated: “We are still doing a technical evaluation, and we need approximately another one-and-a-half months to complete it. The financial bids will be opened only after the evaluation is concluded, following which we will make a decision.”

Accordingly, he confirmed that they intended to appoint the new contractor for the project by December.

Kodithuwakku further admitted that due to cost escalations, the original financing arrangement with JICA was likely to be insufficient to complete the project.

He explained that the financial bids of the prospective Japanese contractors would first need to be opened, and once the contractor was appointed, they would have a clearer understanding of the financing gap, after which arrangements would be made with JICA to secure additional funding to cover the shortfall.

The Deputy Minister further revealed that Access Engineering had been contracted to carry out selected works aimed at implementing protective measures to safeguard and preserve the completed sections until construction on the remaining portions commenced.

He added that these protective works had now been completed as well.

The BIA Terminal 2 project, formally known as the BIA Development Project Phase II Stage 2, aims to boost the airport’s annual passenger capacity from six million to 16 million. Construction on the project was halted in 2022 due to Sri Lanka’s economic crisis.

https://www.themorning.lk/articles/wgxxXqn6FtDZSViu9sSv?fbclid=IwdGRjcAN1LfFjbGNrA3Ut vGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEeo5zIH-FWA2mdrqZ102uiHyDzu6imjRiFF5qaMKisXDovL_nJIoUyFRbf 57A_aem_e-VWU2bFVDNj4a-DZhp-XA

Sri Lanka to upgrade airports in Sigiriya and Trincomalee

By Nisheni Atapattu Friday November 7, 2025 10:12 pm

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka plans to develop Sigiriya and Trincomalee domestic airports, President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka said presenting a budget for 2026.

“It is proposed to allocate one billion rupees for the development of the Sigiriya and Trincomalee domestic airports, and to expand the operations of the Jaffna International Airport, and the Civil Aviation Authority will contribute additional provisions,” President said.

Any balance would come from the airport agency.

Hingurakgoda airport is also under development and is expected to be completed by 2026.

Promotion of domestic flights is essential for the growth of the tourism industry, the president said. (Colombo/Nov07/2025)

BIA expansion will begin next year - President

November 7, 2025 03:05 pm

The expansion of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) will commence next year, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said while delivering the 2026 Budget speech.

The President stated that BIA is on its way to becoming a regional hub for air cargo, with ongoing development activities, including the expansion of SriLankan Airlines’ cargo terminal and cargo handling facilities.

However, to overcome further challenges, particularly in the cold chain system, lack of sufficient storage capacity and outdated systems and to achieve the full potential of the air cargo sector and to ensure operational efficiency and financial sustainability, it is proposed to provide advanced facilities such as cold storage required to handle air cargo to the newly constructed cargo terminal through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, President Dissanayake added.

Meanwhile, a sum of Rs. 1,000 million has been allocated for the development of domestic airports in 2026.

https://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=114409

Is Boeing is going to build a MRO facility at HRI?

SriLankan Airport and Ground Services Rolls Out Self-Check-In Service for Customer Airlines

SriLankan Airlines’ Airport and Ground Services, the sole ground services provider at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), is rolling out its self-check-in service for passengers of customer airlines ahead of the winter travel high season, which is expected to bring over 300,000 tourists to the island in December alone. The initiative, made possible by the airline’s IT team, follows the installation of 20 new self-check-in kiosks at the departure terminal last month, bringing the total to 28 and boosting airport efficiency and the overall passenger experience in line with Sri Lanka’s tourism development efforts.

Since its launch in 2023, the self-check-in kiosk facility has seen a strong uptake, with an increasing number of travellers opting for self-service over traditional counters. Currently, 15% of SriLankan’s passengers flying out of BIA use the kiosks, helping ease congestion at the departure terminal. The facility enables passengers to bypass queues and complete their check-in independently by selecting seats, printing boarding passes and generating bag tags in just a few simple steps.

Deepal Pallegangoda, Head of Airport and Ground Services of SriLankan Airlines, stated, “We are thrilled to offer the self-check-in option to our customer airlines, whose passengers account for around 60% of all passengers we handle. Our aim is to create a seamless travel experience for all passengers checking out of Colombo, which averages over 300,000 each month. Our enhanced self-check-in facilities will further support the airport’s capacity enhancement efforts, while reaffirming SriLankan Airlines’ prominent position in advancing digital airport solutions in the region. Singapore Airlines is set to be the first foreign carrier to adopt the self-check-in kiosk facility for their passengers flying from Colombo, and we hope to see more airlines come onboard soon.”

On any given day, thousands of inbound, outbound and transit passengers pass through BIA, with SriLankan Airport and Ground Services serving as their primary touchpoint. As these numbers continue to grow, the airline is fully geared to accommodate the anticipated surge in travellers during the winter season through digitalisation.

Any progression in JAF runway expansion?

Initially, the entire runway expansion process was ready to begin, but there have been no updates since the change of minister. The RDA is set to carry out the expansion. As regards the airport terminal expansion, the Airport and Aviation authorities are yet to finalise the tender, which was slated to be conducted on November 28th, as per the Airport and Aviation Sri Lanka website.
During that day, we faced the Dithwa cyclone, and I haven't received any updates on the expansion projects since then. If anyone has any info, pls share! I'm eager to know the future of Jaffna airport too!

Jaffna Airport terminal Stage 2 tender set for January 2026
The Government plans to award the tender for Stage 2 of the new terminal project at the Jaffna International Airport by the end of January 2026.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku revealed that construction of a new terminal building at the airport had commenced, adding that the project would be carried out in two stages.

“We have commenced construction of a terminal building at the Jaffna International Airport. This will be done in two stages. We have already awarded the tender for Stage 1 and they have commenced the related work. We should be able to award the tender for Stage 2 by the end of January 2026,” he said.

Kodithuwakku also revealed that the Government was actively considering an expansion of the runway at the airport.

He further stated that the total expected investment for both stages of the terminal project would be approximately Rs. 700 million.

While he was unable to provide an exact timeline for the completion of both stages, the Deputy Minister expressed optimism that the new terminal could be completed within two years.

The Jaffna International Airport, formerly known as the Palaly Airport, was established by the British Armed Forces on 359 acres of land in Palaly, with its first flight to India taking place on 10 December 1947.

Source: The Morning