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However, to overcome further challenges, particularly in the cold chain system, lack of sufficient storage capacity and outdated systems and to achieve the full potential of the air cargo sector and to ensure operational efficiency and financial sustainability, it is proposed to provide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.
