Sunday Feb 22, 2026
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| SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam |
By Charumini de Silva
Sri Lanka’s tourism authorities are once again polishing the runway lights at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), promising that this time, the country’s most debated aviation asset will finally take off — at least on paper.
At a media briefing on Thursday, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam laid out what he described as a “game plan” for Mattala to get scheduled flights. A refreshingly simple idea, given that the airport’s principal problem for years has been the absence of exactly that.
“The game plan for Mattala is to get scheduled flights there, which we don’t have and that’s the biggest issue now,” he admitted, noting that charter flights do trickle in during peak season.
“Along with major airlines, tour operators, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Airports and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd., (AASL)—the plan is to have a joint marketing and operation plan for Mattala,” he added.
Hewawasam said the aim is to reintroduce Mattala to the aviation world as a credible “alternative airport.”
From an aviation standpoint, he insisted Mattala is “the best alternative” to Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake, especially for diversions. “Ironically, most airlines have preferred India’s Trivandrum when rerouting flights, partly because Mattala’s safety factors are not highlighted and established,” he explained.
Those safety factors, he acknowledged delicately, include certain well-publicised “animal-related issues” involving birds and elephants. “Authorities are now working with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and other agencies to formalise certifications and reassure airlines that wildlife encounters will remain strictly off-runway.
Infrastructure-wise, Hewawasam argued, once Mattala is fully certified and presented as “ready to be reached,” it can establish itself as a recognised alternative airport—a first, crucial step in aviation credibility.
He said but the revival strategy does not stop at compliance. “Sri Lanka Tourism is now in the process of branding Mattala,” he added.
In tourism terms, the Chairman said, the airport is ideally located within reach of Ella, Yala, the Deep South and Pasikudah. The logic is compelling with the airport being near the attractions; now it only needs the passengers.
He also said the tour packages, too, must be reimagined. “At present, tour operating packages start with BIA and end with BIA,” Hewawasam noted, suggesting a symmetrical Mattala model could be created.
Hewawasam also observed perhaps optimistically, that the last serious marketing push for Mattala occurred before expressways improved connectivity to the South.
Whether airlines will share the enthusiasm remains the billion-rupee question.
