Mattala Airport incurs a loss of over Rs 42 billion in 5 years

Sri Lanka’s Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), hailed as a project to transform the nation’s aviation sector, has reported staggering losses of Rs. 42.81 billion ($227 million) over the last five years, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).

The total losses incurred by the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) between 2017 – 2022 amounted to Rs. 42.81 billion, according to a report of the National Audit Office (NAO),

The airport had meanwhile incurred a loss of Rs. 22.21 billion last year.

It was estimated to attract one million passengers at the MRIA annually. However, the Audit report revealed that only a total of 11,577 passengers had travelled through the Mattala Airport last yea.

During the 5 year period 103,324 passengers have travelled via MRIA between 2017 and 2022.

The project to initially develop the MRIA cost Rs. 36.56 billion, while Rs. 19 billion had been obtained as foreign loans.

Meanwhile NAO reports also revealed that the Batticaloa International Airport (BIA), which was opened in March 2018, has totaled an operating cost of Rs. 86 million over the past five years, however has failed to generate any income.