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.

The low-pressure area located near the northern coast of the Sri Lanka is expected to intensify further and move west-northwestward. It is likely to develop into a depression over the coastal areas of northern Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh during today (22) evening.

Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Jaffna and Mannar districts. Fairly heavy falls about 75 mm are likely at some places in these areas.
Showers or thundershowers will occur elsewhere of the island after 1.00 p.m.
Fairly strong winds of about (30-40) kmph can be expected at times over Western slopes of the central hills and in Western, Northern, North-central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Trincomalee district.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

By: Staff Writer

October 21, Colombo (LNW): The newly elected President of the Small Hydro Power Developers Association (SHPDA), Pathmanatha Poddiwala, has pledged to lead the association through a transformative era for Sri Lanka’s renewable energy sector, marked by both opportunity and uncertainty.

Speaking after his election, Poddiwala described it as a “great honour” to head one of Sri Lanka’s oldest renewable energy bodies, which currently supplies nearly 450 MW of firm power to the national grid among the most cost-effective sources of electricity in the country. He commended outgoing President Thusitha and the previous executive committee for their “exemplary leadership” through years of turbulence shaped by the pandemic and shifting energy policies.

Poddiwala acknowledged that small hydro developers are navigating what he called “turbulent weather.” He pointed to mounting industry challenges, including the enforcement of the new Electricity Act, the unbundling of the national utility, unconsented curtailments of power generation, and termination of power purchase agreements (PPAs) issues that have eroded investor confidence and project bankability.

“These are challenges we are facing for the first time in our history,” he said. “But renewable energy remains the cheapest and most sustainable power source, both locally and globally. That is our greatest strength.”

He underscored that Sri Lanka’s indigenous renewable resources particularly hydropower remain the country’s most valuable natural advantage. While investor activity has slowed due to tariff and regulatory constraints, Poddiwala views this as an opportunity to rethink the sector through innovation, efficiency, and technology integration.

Among his top priorities is the adoption of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to enhance grid stability and optimize hydro generation. “Storage technology will allow plants to store power during off-peak hours and release it during demand surges,” he explained, highlighting the growing link between renewable energy and emerging markets such as electric vehicles, tourism, and exports, all of which will drive future power demand.

Poddiwala outlined a forward-looking vision for a strategic, inclusive, and globally connected association. His agenda includes developing a long-term strategic plan, broadening stakeholder participation in decision-making, and building stronger ties with international renewable energy forums, financial institutions, and partners such as the ADB.

He also emphasized the importance of public communication, proposing regular briefings and an expanded media and social media presence to better showcase the sector’s contributions to the national economy. A membership expansion drive is also planned to bring in a wider spectrum of renewable energy players.

“We will hold a strategic brainstorming session to define measurable outcomes for each working group,” Poddiwala said, concluding his address with gratitude to members for their steadfast support. “With collective effort and commitment, we can help shape a resilient and forward-thinking renewable energy future for Sri Lanka.”

By: Staff Writer

October 21, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s public education system, once considered a model in South Asia—is now facing a deepening crisis, largely due to chronic underfunding and weak fiscal management. A new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), “Tax Giveaways, Struggling Schools,” paints a troubling picture of the country’s dwindling investment in its children’s future, linking the decline directly to inadequate tax revenue collection and misplaced spending priorities.

According to HRW, Sri Lanka spends just around 2% of its GDP on education, less than half the average for low- and middle-income countries, which stands at 4.5%. Two decades ago, the country allocated nearly 11.7% of government expenditure to education, but even then it lagged behind African peers such as Benin and Côte d’Ivoire, which dedicated close to 19%. By 2009, Sri Lanka’s ranking had slipped to among the lowest in its income group—an alarming sign for a nation that once prided itself on near-universal literacy.

The contrast in per-student spending underscores the widening gap. In 2010, Sri Lanka’s spending per primary student was just $516 (PPP)—a fraction of Morocco’s $1,278 or Bolivia’s $2,121. By comparison, the United Kingdom invested $11,192 per student, a figure that dwarfs Sri Lanka’s education allocation by more than twentyfold.

Experts say the shortfall is not merely a budgetary issue, but a reflection of structural weaknesses in Sri Lanka’s tax system. The report highlights that low tax collection—among the weakest in Asia—has forced the Government to depend heavily on borrowing, even to fund basic education infrastructure. The result has been deteriorating school facilities, teacher shortages, and widening inequalities between urban and rural areas.

“Had Sri Lanka’s tax revenues been comparable to other countries in its income bracket, it could have generated sufficient funds to guarantee the right to quality education,” HRW noted, emphasizing the need for fiscal reform over short-term borrowing.

The report also points to “tax giveaways”—generous exemptions and concessions granted to corporations and investorsthat have drained public coffers of vital revenue. Instead of fostering growth, these incentives have left essential public services starved of funding, HRW argues.

As the Government prepares its next budget cycle, education advocates are urging policymakers to rethink national priorities. They call for an increase in education spending to at least 4% of GDP—the global minimum benchmark set by UNESCO—and the phasing out of unnecessary tax holidays.

Without decisive action, HRW warns, the current generation of Sri Lankan students could face lasting disadvantages in a rapidly changing global economy.