An information workshop for investors interested in developing and operating Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport was held on Friday, with the government revealing that roughly 80 prospective parties have already downloaded the project documents online.
Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku said the formal process to call for Expressions of Interest from potential investors began recently, NewsFirst reported.
The workshop is the first concrete investor-engagement event since the updated EOI process opened with a June 8 deadline earlier this month, replacing earlier abandoned attempts to find an operating partner for the loss-making southern airport.
Mattala, built under the second Rajapaksa administration in 2013, has long been described as one of the world’s emptiest international airports and has been the focus of successive global EOI rounds seeking private-sector capital and route development. The government has signalled it is open to either a long-term concession or a development partnership, but has yet to publish a binding shortlist of preferred structures.
The airport featured in the morning’s news cycle for a different reason: heavy monsoon rainfall in the Western Province on Friday forced Civil Aviation to divert multiple aircraft bound for Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to Mattala, underlining its strategic value as Sri Lanka’s second international gateway.
Friday’s investor session — held with the EOI window still open — is intended to walk potential bidders through the technical, commercial and regulatory parameters of the planned partnership ahead of the formal submission deadline.
