Sri Lanka’s main international gateway, the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake, is facing mounting congestion as passenger numbers climb rapidly, prompting renewed calls for urgent expansion of terminal facilities.
Deputy Minister of Tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe acknowledged that peak-hour aircraft landings and a surge in arrivals have stretched the airport’s capacity to breaking point, even as interim measures are being introduced to ease pressure.
Airport and Aviation Services (AASL), which manages BIA, has already restricted visitors to the departure area between 10.00 p.m. and midnight to manage crowds.
The airport experiences “hub peaks” when multiple flights converge within a short time frame, particularly during late-night hours when long-haul and regional connections overlap.
“Within four hours, we had a large number of arrivals. Now we are stretching it to about six hours,” Minister Ranasinghe explained. However, these adjustments have not fully resolved bottlenecks at immigration counters and in passenger processing areas.
Efforts are underway to recruit more immigration staff and expand counters to reduce waiting times. At the same time, authorities are encouraging charter flights to use the underutilized Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, though airlines remain reluctant due to logistical and connectivity challenges.
Sri Lanka is on track to welcome three million tourists in 2025, with 1.5 million already recorded by mid-August. Outbound travel by Sri Lankans is also on the rise as the economy gradually recovers from the 2022 currency crisis, adding further strain on BIA’s single terminal.
The scale of the problem underscores the need for infrastructure expansion. The existing terminal was originally designed to handle six million passengers annually but has far exceeded that limit, handling a record 10.8 million in 2018 before the pandemic-induced collapse in traffic. With recovery now underway, the airport is once again overcrowded, especially during peak hours.
A second terminal, planned with Japanese financing, was expected to provide a long-term solution. However, construction was suspended after Sri Lanka’s sovereign debt default in 2022, leaving the project in limbo. Aviation experts warn that unless work resumes soon, the country risks undermining its tourism growth strategy and damaging its reputation as a convenient transit hub in South Asia.
The airport’s congestion has broader economic implications. Long queues and delays can discourage both tourists and business travellers, while airlines may reconsider Colombo as a regional stopover if operational challenges persist. With tourism being one of the country’s most important foreign exchange earners, policymakers face growing pressure to prioritize the revival of the stalled terminal project.
As visitor numbers rise and outbound traffic grows, Sri Lanka must act swiftly. The current stopgap measures may provide temporary relief, but only a modern, expanded terminal will ensure that Colombo’s airport keeps pace with global aviation demand.
