Sri Lanka's tourism earnings dropped 9.2% in the first nine months of 2026, even though the country welcomed nearly 1.7 million international visitors, the Central...
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed officials to accelerate ongoing projects to increase passenger-handling capacity and improve facilities at Katunayake International Airport, while also advancing the development of domestic airports across the country to meet future aviation demands.
The directive was issued during a discussion on the 2027 Budget proposals for the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation held at the Presidential Secretariat.
During the meeting, the President reviewed the progress of development projects at Katunayake Airport and stressed the importance of completing them without delay. He also highlighted the need to expand supporting infrastructure, including road networks surrounding the airport, to improve accessibility and accommodate growing passenger traffic.
Improving convenience and facilities for air travellers at both Katunayake International Airport and regional airports was another key focus of the discussion.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation and Minister of Energy Anura Karunathilaka, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, and Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Janith Ruwan Kodituwakku.
Other participants included Chief of Staff to the President Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Senior Additional Secretary to the President and Secretary to the Ministry of Energy Russell Aponso, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, and Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation W. W. S. Mangala.
Deputy Secretary to the Treasury A. K. Seneviratne, Director General of the Department of National Budget Jude Nilukshan, and other officials from the relevant institutions and the Ministry of Finance also attended the discussion.
