The Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation has issued a new call for private sector expressions of interest to develop operations and infrastructure at the underutilized Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA).
Deputy Minister Ruwan Kodithuwakku announced that a Cabinet paper will soon be submitted to formalize the process and attract credible investors to the loss-making facility.
A previous Cabinet-approved agreement to hand over MRIA operations to a Russian-Indian joint venture was cancelled, after it emerged that one party was under U.S. sanctions, raising concerns about national airspace sovereignty.
The government has pledged to thoroughly evaluate all proposals received under the new call to ensure suitable investors are selected to revive the airport.
MRIA currently incurs an annual loss of around Rs. 3 billion, highlighting the urgency of securing private investment to improve its viability.
