The Ministry of Ports & Civil Aviation has invited global investors to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) for aviation investment opportunities for the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA). 

The Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation, on behalf of Airport and Aviation Services, ‘‘invites proposals from prospective investors including, Companies, Corporations, Firms, and Joint Ventures’‘ for investments to ‘‘utilise resources’‘ of the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA). 

The EOI, which includes airside, aerodrome and landside operations, is open to both domestic and international entities, the statement said.

India has in the past expressed interest to operate the airport in Mattala, which has made headlines as the ‘world’s emptiest airport’, including through a joint venture with a Russian company. However, the proposals did not take off. 

The Mattala airport was developed with a nearly $200-million Chinese loan by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who sought to develop his stronghold, along with other big ticket infrastructure projects such as the Hambantota port, also backed by the Chinese. However, the airport facility is yet to prove commercially viable since its launch in 2013. It has recorded a cumulative loss amounting to nearly LKR 40 billion (roughly $130 million), the Auditor General’s report said in 2024. The airport currently has no scheduled flights but handles charter planes, officials said.   

Source: The Hindu 
--Agencies