Sri Lanka's International Airport BIA Moves 6.4mn Passengers above the Design Capacity of 6mn

12th March 2012, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Passenger movements through Sri Lanka's main international airport rose to 6.4 million above its design capacity of 6 million passengers, and the state-run agency was scrambling to add capacity, an official said.

Last year, according to the agency's annual report, the international airport at Katunayake handled 5.259 million passengers indicating an increase of 21 percent.

Chairman of the state airport agency, Sri Lanka Airport and Aviation Services Ltd, Prasanna Wickramasuriya told a forum organized by Sri Lanka's shipping academy that the airport handled 208,000 metric tonnes of cargo, up from 187,000 tonnes a year earlier.

The airport can handle 250,000 metric tonnes of cargo a year.

The airport can accommodated 25 airside movements an hour. The airport has been experiencing congestion especially at so-called 'hub peaks'.

Tourist arrivals have been growing over 30 percent a year since a 30-year war ended in 2009.

Thirty three airlines now call at Colombo.

"Day-by-day the enthusiasm is more and other airlines wants to fly into Sri Lanka," Wickramasuriya said.

Wickramasuriya said capacity will be upped by a million passengers a year.

The airport was building a one million passenger domestic terminal to be completed by the end of the year. But it will initially used for international traffic, he said.

Private jet movements had also increased 27 percent, making it difficult to accommodate them, he said. They will be shifted to small airport at Ratmalana, south of the capital Colombo he said.

The airport firm had signed up a loan from Japan to up passenger capacity to 12 million and cargo to 510,000 by 2015, he said.

Sri Lanka one-million-passenger second international airport in Hambantota is also expected to be completed by end 2012 or the first quarter of 2013.

Related Info :

• Japan Finnaces Sri Lanka Airport Expansion. Bandaranaike International Airport Sees Congestion Amid a Boom in Air Traffic

• 11 International Airlines Fly Back to Sri Lanka since the End of War in 2009
 
• Sri Lanka Tourism Statistics and Tourist Arrivals

Japan Finnaces Sri Lanka Airport Expansion. Bandaranaike International Airport Sees Congestion Amid a Boom in Air Traffic

04th March 2012, www.island.lk

Sri Lanka’s main international airport has secured financing of 28.9 billion yen financing (330 million US dollars) to expand and modernize facilities as tourist arrivals continue to expand.

The state information office said the cabinet of ministers had given the nod to get a loan of 28,969 million Yen from the Japan International Co-operation Agency.

Amid a boom in air traffic Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport has been experiencing some congestion at the so-called daily ‘hub peaks’.

The airport, operated by state-run Airport and Aviation Services Ltd, is to increase check-in counters shortly.

Related Info :

• Sri Lanka BIA Airport to Add another Runway as Traffic Grows

Colombo International Airport to Receive 6mn Passengers by 2018. New Hambantota International Airport in Southern Sri Lanka to Open for Commercial Flights from November

18th January 2012, www.dailynews.lk, By Shirajiv Sirimane

The Colombo International Airport would be upgraded to cater for six million passengers by 2018. This is a 100 percent increase.

Airport Aviation Services Chairman Col. Prasanna Wickramasuriya said that this includes over one million passengers using the Hambantota International Airport (HJA) as well.

He also said that the HIA construction work is on track and the new airport runway testing would start from October and would be open for commercial flights form November.

“The second stage of the HIA project is to be completed by 2018,” he said.

Wickramasuriya said that initially they would target the charter operation and subsequently attract budget airlines to operate to HIA. “With tourism booming many airlines have requested for additional frequencies and we are planning to divert them to HIA,” he said.

HIA has allocated a large space for a proposed duty free shopping complex for the airport and they expect this would bring in a special ‘shopping’ clientele similar to Singapore.

He also disclosed that investors have expressed interest to set up a publishing zone in Mattala.

SriLankan Airlines will look at rerouting some of their European and Gulf flights through the Hambantota International Airport (HIA) from next November CEO, Kapila Chandrasena said.

He said that their plan is to have a stop over in HIA so that passengers could have the option of disembarking in Mattala while passengers too could take connections to Colombo.

“Similarly we are also looking at operating the Male transit market from the proposed Mattala Airport,” he said.

The national carrier will also handle the ground handling and catering services of the new airport. “The handling rates would be definitely more competitive than the Colombo Airport,” he said.

While spelling out plans to have an extension arm of their engineering wing at HIA he said that they will soon sign up to get a second A330 simulator for pilot training.

SriLankan, which is expected to strengthen their air taxi services with two additional aircraft, is to build an air taxi hub in Bandagirlya Tank in Mattala. This would be a five-minute drive from the HIA and a four-lane highway would connect it to the airport.

Related Info :

• First A380 Lands at BIA of Sri Lanka. Emirates Airbus A380 on a Flight from Sydney to Dubai Made a Scheduled Landing

• Sri Lanka BIA Airport to Add another Runway as Traffic Grows

Colombo BIA Airport Passenger Movements Up 26pct with A Sharp Increase in Tourist Arrivals

23rd December 2010, www.dailynews.lk, By Irangika Range

Passenger movements handled by the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) has increased by 26 percent recording a total number of 3,860,507 passengers during the period of January to September this year.

This is in comparison to 3,074,687 movements during the corresponding period of 2009. A Ports and Aviation Ministry Spokesman said this is due to the tourist boom and increasing of tourist arrivals from the second half of 2009 in post war in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka witnessed a sharp increase in tourist arrivals this year which has continued to rise every month after the restoration of peace. The total forecasted passenger movements for 2010 is 5,248,524 compared to 4,242,356 and 4,642,831 movements recorded in 2009 and 2008 respectively.

Meanwhile, plans are afoot to enhance passenger at the BIA. It has been planned to operate tax free appeal shopping mall facilities at the Katunayake, BOI zone to attract more visitors to Sri Lanka. This tax free shopping mall is located adjacent to the arrivals terminal and is connected by the sky bridge. It is also planned to refurbish the departure and arrival porches to add more elegance to the BIA. Similarly, connecting walkways will also be refurbished to provide an aesthetically pleasing environment. This project is expected to be completed by the end of 2011.

Related Info:
Sri Lanka Tourism Statistics and Tourist Arrivals

Domestic Air Terminal for Colombo BIA Airport, Sri Lanka

07th November 2010, www.sundayobserver.lk, By Shirajiv Sirimane

The Airport Aviation Service Services (AASL) is to build a domesticair terminal at the Bandaranaike International airport (BIA) inColombo.

Chairman, AASL, Prasanna Wickramasuriya said that the old SriLankanairline catering service would be used for this purpose.

“We are now drawing plans to get this project off the ground,” he said.

The main objective of this is to enable a passenger to take aconnecting flight to several domestic airports which are currentlybeing developed.

Mihin Lanka has already announced that they would be starting aColombo Jaffna domestic flights for BIA.

Malaysian Company Invests $100mn on Speed Railway from Colombo to Katunayake, Sri Lanka

20th September 2010, www.dailynews.lk, By Ramani Kangaraarachchi

A leading Malaysian company is to develop a US $ 100 million speed railway project in Sri Lanka. The proposed railway from Colpetty to the Katunayake Airport is aimed at the huge influx of expected tourist arrivals in the coming years.

Airport Express Lanka Ltd, Director Dr Parimalan Rajo Isa Michael told Daily News Business that he is awaiting Sri Lankan Government’s endorsement to commence the project next year. He said that an eight storey hotel of international standards with a shopping complex in the beach front will be constructed where tourists can check in from the airport straight away at the Colpetty station.

A new railway track along the coastal line will be built parallel to the existing line and it will be operated by wind power technology from Denmark.

Electricity also will be used to a certain extent. Required land will be leased to have ample parking space. This project will contribute to the Sri Lanka Electricity Board, the tourism industry and other Government agencies in a big way. The State Engineering Corporation will design the entire project.

The 35 Km long railway track will be completed in two and a half years without any cost to the Sri Lanka Government. Funding will be provided by Malaysian and US companies.

Dr Michel said that this improvement of the railway station will create a number of employment opportunities for Sri Lankans in the fields of construction, engineering, labour supply and trading. The hotel will be run by Malaysians and latest technology will be applied in every system and software will come from Hong Kong.

The railway company is hoping to do 18 trips a day and 120 passengers can be accommodated in a train.

The company is hoping to recover the investment in 15 to 25 years.

Sri lanka's Colombo Airport to Add a New Terminal

06th July 2010, www.news360.lk

Sri Lanka’s only International Airport in Katunayake will start building its second terminal from next year.

Vice Chairman of the Airport and Aviation Authority Kamal S. Ratwatte said the

US $ 300 million “terminal” once in operation will cater to 6 million passengers per annum.

He said, currently the Colombo Airport only operates with a single terminal consisting of 10 gates and is only capable of catering to 6 million passengers per annum.

He said already its capacity has reached 4.2 million passengers and expects it to reach the full capacity very soon.

The Vice Chairman of the Airport and Aviation Authority said therefore the need for the new terminal is increasing.

The new terminal once starts construction work in 2011 will be completed by 2014.

Ratwatte said currently they are discussing with JICA over the funding for this terminal which will have 12 gates.

The first terminal of the Airport was also funded by JICA.

Sri Lanka is currently also working on building a second international airport in the deep south of the country.

Sri Lanka's BIA Colombo Airport to Add a New Terminal

60th July 2010, www.news360.lk

Sri Lanka’s only International Airport in Katunayake will start building its second terminal from next year.
Vice Chairman of the Airport and Aviation Authority Kamal S. Ratwatte said the

US $ 300 million “terminal” once in operation will cater to 6 million passengers per annum.

He said, currently the Colombo Airport only operates with a single terminal consisting of 10 gates and is only capable of catering to 6 million passengers per annum.

He said already its capacity has reached 4.2 million passengers and expects it to reach the full capacity very soon.

The Vice Chairman of the Airport and Aviation Authority said therefore the need for the new terminal is increasing.

The new terminal once starts construction work in 2011 will be completed by 2014.

Ratwatte said currently they are discussing with JICA over the funding for this terminal which will have 12 gates.

The first terminal of the Airport was also funded by JICA.

Sri Lanka is currently also working on building a second international airport in the deep south of the country.

Fast Train Services Link Sri Lanka's International Airport to Colombo City

01st June 2010, www.news.lk

A Super fast train service links the Bandaranaike International Airport with the city of Colombo from today.

The journey will take 30 minutes and it will run three to four times each way daily. This will greatly facilitate the distinguished visitors arriving this week to attend the Indian mega film awards ceremony IIFA.

Transport Minister Kumar Welgama and Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa inaugurated the new train service this morning.

The luxury train service is administered by the Airport & Aviation Services Limited (AASL). The AASL has hired a luxury train with air-conditioned coaches from Sri Lanka Railway for this special service.

Airport Express Luxury Train Service Operating Schedule