Govt. says Japan to restart BIA Terminal 2 construction before Nov.

Saturday, 15 August 2026 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Japan has confirmed that construction of the long-delayed second passenger terminal at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) will commence before November this year, following the revival of the project with Japanese assistance.

The confirmation was given during discussions between Ports, Civil Aviation and Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka and a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) delegation led by Senior Vice President Hara Shohei and Chief Representative Honzu Shigeo.

The Ministry said the project, which was initiated earlier but subsequently halted, was revived following discussions between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Japanese Government.

Several rounds of discussions were subsequently held between the Ministry, the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka and JICA officials. Following Japan’s decision to provide the additional loan facility required for the project, related arrangements have been completed, while discussions with the selected construction company are at the final stage.

Minister Karunathilaka stressed the need to expedite Terminal 2, saying the Government was working to create conditions to attract more tourists and investors to Sri Lanka.

The discussions also covered obtaining assistance to establish a Vessel Traffic Management System to manage increasing ship movements at the Port of Colombo. The proposal will be submitted through the Department of External Resources.