Sri Lanka’s £162M Mattala Rajapaksa Airport, once a grand vision, now sees just seven passengers a week, facing airline exits, low demand, and an uncertain future.
Nestled in the rural town of Mattala, approximately 11 miles from Hambantota, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) was envisioned as a game-changing aviation hub for Sri Lanka’s southeast. Instead, it has earned the dubious title of the “world’s quietest airport”, struggling with minuscule passenger numbers despite its £162 million construction price tag.
A Controversial Beginning
Construction of MRIA began in 2009 under the directive of then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa and was largely financed by Chinese investments. The facility was officially inaugurated in 2013, but from the outset, aviation experts questioned its feasibility. A report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) suggested that resources would have been better allocated towards expanding Bandaranaike International Airport rather than building a brand-new facility.
Beyond financial concerns, MRIA’s location has also been widely criticized. The airport was constructed in the heart of an elephant corridor and a migratory bird zone, leading to the clearance of 2,000 acres of vital habitat. Environmentalists have long voiced concerns about its impact on local wildlife, while aviation specialists warn that the runway’s orientation leaves aircraft susceptible to hazardous crosswinds.
A Rapid Decline in Airlines and Passengers
Initially, MRIA welcomed several international and domestic carriers, including SriLankan Airlines, Mihin Lanka, Cinnamon Air, Air Arabia, and Flydubai. However, with passenger demand failing to materialize, most airlines gradually withdrew their services. By 2018, only a handful of carriers remained.
At present, the airport serves a small selection of airlines, including Bulgaria Air, Centrum Air, Cinnamon Air, FitsAir, Red Wings Airlines, SCAT Airlines, SkyUp Airlines, and Uzbekistan Airlines.
The airport was designed with a 110,000-square-foot passenger terminal, equipped with 12 check-in counters and two boarding gates, capable of handling one million passengers annually. Yet, the actual traffic has been staggeringly low. By 2016, the airport operated merely two flights per week, and current reports suggest it now sees only seven passengers per week.
Desperate Measures: From Cargo Storage to Aircraft Parking
With limited flight revenue, MRIA’s vast, unused cargo terminals were repurposed in 2015 to store surplus rice harvests from surrounding agricultural regions. Additionally, the airport has been used as a long-term aircraft parking facility for grounded planes.
Uncertain Future and India’s Potential Interest
The long-term fate of Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport remains unclear. Reports have circulated that India may be interested in taking over the facility to strengthen its regional influence, although no formal agreements have been reached.
In response to MRIA’s ongoing struggles, Sri Lankan politician Maithripala Yapa Sirisena previously pledged to allow airlines to withdraw their services from Mattala and scrap its hub operations, acknowledging the airport’s persistent lack of viability.
Despite its grand ambitions, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport remains a cautionary tale of misplaced investment, environmental disruption, and economic miscalculation—a costly project still searching for relevance in Sri Lanka’s aviation landscape.
The post Sri Lanka’s £162 Million Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport Faces Uncertain Future as It Struggles with Just Seven Passengers Per Week appeared first on Travel And Tour World.
