• Govt evaluates proposals submitted by interested parties
• Single investor or multiple partners under consideration
• Airport continues to incur around Rs 3 b in annual losses  

The process of evaluating proposals to determine the future operator of the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) is currently underway, and the entire process is expected to be finalised by the middle of next year, Deputy Civil Aviation Minister Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku said.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, he said the Government is currently evaluating the proposals submitted by parties interested in taking part in the operation of the MRIA. “We are currently carrying out the evaluations. We hope that we will be able to finalise this whole process by mid next year. By that time, we will be able to form a new operational model,” he said.

It was reported earlier the Government is considering whether to hand over the operation of the Hambantota-based Airport to a single investor or divide different aspects of its operations among several parties, depending on which arrangement would provide the greatest benefit to the country. Nineteen parties had submitted expressions of interest (EOIs), and the next stage was to issue requests for proposals to those parties. The Government called for EOIs earlier this year (2026) as part of its effort to find a joint venture partner or partners to operate the MRIA and improve its financial performance. The move came after years of low passenger numbers and high operating and maintenance costs at the Airport.

Kodiththuwakku had previously told The Daily Morning that the MRIA had not generated the returns expected since it was established and continued to incur annual losses of around Rs 3 billion, a figure roughly equivalent to its operating costs. He said the Government had first focused on restoring the Airport to a condition in which it could operate safely, but that the priority had now shifted towards making the facility commercially viable.

Located in Hambantota, the MRIA was built with the intention of supporting regional development and easing pressure on the Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake. However, its low passenger volumes and the cost of maintaining the facility have made its future operation a longstanding issue for successive Governments.