- Total investment of around Rs. 3 b
- Potential uses being explored
- Feasibility study commenced
The new runway at Hingurakgoda Airport, initiated under the previous regime reportedly without a business plan, is forecast to be completed by the end of 2026 with a total investment of around Rs. 3 billion.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku stated that when the incumbent Government took over, more than half of the runway had already been completed at an investment of approximately Rs. 1.6 billion.
He noted that despite the initiation of the project without a proper business plan by the previous regime, the Government had been compelled to continue the project to prevent the investments made so far from going to waste.
Accordingly, he revealed that the construction of the new runway is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
“As it stands, there is no defined purpose for this project. We are currently exploring potential uses.
“If we had stopped at the point when roughly 60% of the cost had already been spent, the entire investment would have gone to waste. By completing the construction, we will at least have an underlying asset.
“Once it is finished, we can then evaluate and determine the possible ways it can be utilised,” he stated.
Accordingly, the Deputy Minister revealed that they had now commenced a feasibility study in respect of this project.
He further revealed that the project would cost the Government around Rs. 3 billion in total.
Responding to a query by The Sunday Morning Business regarding the motivation of the previous regime to construct the runway at Hingurakgoda Airport, Kodithuwakku revealed that, according to informal sources, the decision had been influenced by events during the anti-Government protests in 2022.
At that time, those in power were reportedly unable to access the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), and none of the Air Force airfields could accommodate short-haul passenger aircraft such as A320 flights.
The Deputy Minister stated that according to these informal sources, this had been the rationale behind the construction of the runway.