January 01, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s aviation industry appears to be regaining momentum, with the first eleven months of 2025 delivering markedly stronger results than the same period last year.
Official figures indicate that international passenger traffic reached approximately 9.23 million movements between January and November 2025, representing a robust increase of just over 15 per cent compared with the corresponding months of 2024.
Aircraft activity also rose steadily, with 58,454 international flight movements recorded during the period, reflecting growth of nearly 15 per cent year on year.
Tourism arrivals by air mirrored this upward trend. Around 2.1 million visitors entered the country by air during the January–November 2025 timeframe, an improvement of close to 17 per cent from the previous year, signalling renewed confidence among travellers and airlines alike.
Industry observers attribute this resurgence to renewed policy focus following the change in government, which placed aviation high on its economic recovery agenda. Targeted interventions, operational reforms and improved coordination across agencies are said to have helped ease earlier bottlenecks and restore stability.
The progress achieved under the direction of the responsible ministers, together with the sustained efforts of airport authorities, airline partners and frontline staff, is increasingly being viewed as the early stages of a broader revival.
If current trends continue, the aviation sector is expected to play a central role in strengthening connectivity, tourism growth and overall economic performance in the year ahead.
