Sri Lanka’s aviation industry is regaining altitude after years of turbulence, with passenger and flight movements showing robust growth through 2025, though still trailing the pre-crisis highs recorded in 2018.
According to the latest data from Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited (AASL), international passenger movements rose 14.08% while international aircraft movements grew 15.35% during the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
From January to September, 7.56 million passengers passed through the country’s three international airports Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), and Jaffna International Airport (JIA). Arrivals accounted for 49.15%, and departures made up 50.85% of total movements.
Transit traffic also recorded encouraging growth, with 680,821 passengers using Sri Lanka as a transit hub, reaffirming its potential role in regional air connectivity between South Asia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Of total arrivals, 1.7 million were tourists, accounting for 45.9% of air arrivals, reflecting a healthy mix of international visitors and returning Sri Lankans.
While 2025 has marked a year of recovery, the AASL noted that the industry has yet to fully regain its 2018 performance levels — a peak year before the Easter Sunday attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted tourism and travel. In 2018, the sector handled 10.88 million international passengers, 67,351 aircraft, and 279,559 metric tons of air cargo.
After collapsing during the pandemic, the industry has been rebuilding steadily. In 2024, AASL handled 8.88 million passengers, still 18.4% below 2018 levels. However, forecasts for 2025 remain optimistic, with the total expected to reach 10.36 million passengers by year-end if the current pace continues.
AASL has already recorded 56,289 international aircraft movements in the first nine months of 2025 nearly matching the 56,286 handled in the entire previous year signaling a sharp rebound in airline operations. Cargo movement, however, has dipped by around 4%, reflecting global trade slowdowns and lower export demand.
The authority attributed the ongoing growth to the resumption of key airline services, new route expansions, and improved airport infrastructure. BIA’s modernization and terminal expansion project, set to be completed in 2026, aims to double passenger handling capacity, while MRIA and JIA are seeing rising activity from regional carriers.
Industry analysts say the outlook remains positive as Sri Lanka strengthens its position as a South Asian aviation hub. Yet, challenges such as fuel costs, airline competition, and global demand volatility continue to test the sector’s resilience.
