February 09, Colombo (LNW): In a bid to improve the experience of passengers, particularly the increasing number of tourists arriving in Sri Lanka, the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) is set to undergo a significant redesign of its arrival lobby.
This initiative, spearheaded by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited (AASL), is a response to the steady rise in tourist arrivals and aims to address the challenges that come with handling growing passenger numbers.
Harsha Abeywickrema, Chairman of AASL and a retired Air Chief Marshal, outlined that the planned upgrades are designed to alleviate congestion in the arrival area and create a more spacious and welcoming environment for visitors.
One of the key changes will be the relocation of the Sri Lanka Tourism Travel Information Counter to a more central and easily accessible location.
This will ensure that tourists are greeted and assisted promptly upon arrival.
Additionally, the number of ATMs in the arrival lobby will be increased to reduce long queues and waiting times for travellers.
These upgrades are expected to improve the overall efficiency of the airport, providing a smoother transition for passengers as they enter the country.
This redesign is part of a broader strategy by AASL to improve passenger facilities whilst managing the increasing volume of travellers at BIA.
These efforts will continue until the completion of Terminal 2, which is expected to be finished in March 2028.
The rise in tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka has been noteworthy, with a particularly sharp increase in the final quarter of 2024 and momentum continuing into 2025. In January 2025, daily arrivals averaged 8,150, reflecting a 23 per cent rise compared to the same month in 2024.
However, the arrival lobby’s current infrastructure has struggled to keep up with the influx of visitors, and the need for expansion has become increasingly evident.
Following a visit to BIA by Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation, Bimal Rathnayake, plans to redesign and expand the arrival lobby were set into motion.
These enhancements are designed to ensure that BIA remains capable of accommodating rising passenger numbers and providing a seamless and positive arrival experience for all travellers.
