Work on Rs. 107 b second terminal of BIA from next week

Friday, 13 November 2020 00:30 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Aviation State Minister D.V. Chanaka

The biggest and long-overdue development project, the multi-level second terminal of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) worth Rs. 107 billion will kick-off on 18 November under the patronage of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

This expansion project is funded by Japan with an investment of Rs. 107 billion, making this the largest development project carried out by the Government. The project is expected to be completed within three years.

Expansion of the airport capacity is the key objective of the construction of this new terminal. The project is planned to be carried out using latest technological expertise, which enables the execution of the project in an environment-friendly manner that helps save 40% of water and 20% energy. This new multi-level terminal which expands over an area of 180, 000 square metres will consists of separate departure and arrival terminals to make the airport more passenger-friendly.

It is expected that the passenger handling capacity of BIA be increased from current six million to 15 million passengers a year.

The expansion project of BIA is considered the largest development project since 2014 and will undoubtedly be a significant turning point in the history of aviation industry in Sri Lanka. As per the master plan of BIA construction project, the airport was designed to be executed in two phases. The construction work of the first stage of BIA was completed and opened for the public in 1985.

In addition, a five-storied parking area will be built to increase the parking capacity of the airport to offer convenience to the public coming to the airport. All the entry roads to BIA will be developed as a part of this project and infrastructure facilities in the BIA premises will be improved similarly.

“A steep rise in the number of passengers using airports for their travel is looked ahead when the lifestyles of people revert to normalcy post-COVID. Our objective and the duty are to cater to this increasing aviation service requirement successfully. Steps will be taken to enhance the functionality of the key areas such as efficiency of customer service, staff and safety of passengers,” Aviation State Minister D.V. Chanaka said.

He also said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed to promptly complete this development project. “President Rajapaksa expects to make it a smart terminal and plans have already been made to complete the construction work of the second terminal within three years. This project is expected to create large number of employment opportunities. We will also see a substantial growth in the economy as well,” he added.

The State Minister believes world-renowned airlines will begin to increase frequencies to BIA while airline operations will rise drastically once the project is completed in 2023.

“President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa aspire to make Sri Lanka the most vibrant aviation hub in South Asia and our Ministry strives to elevate BIA to that level. It is our goal to make BIA one of the main facets of Sri Lanka’s economy,” Chanaka said.