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Sri Lanka hunts investors for loss making Mattala airport built on Chinese loans
International
Published on 26 April 2026
Built to boost tourism but it keeps bleeding money
Sri Lanka is looking for investors to take over Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, which has operated at a loss since opening in 2013. An earlier lease plan with an Indo-Russian venture collapsed, leaving the airport a continuing financial drain. The government now points to tourism and strategic value as it accelerates privatization after its economic crisis.
- Mattala airport has been loss making since 2013
- A prior Indo-Russian lease plan failed to proceed
- Sri Lanka is courting investors amid broader privatization
- Officials cite tourism and strategic investment potential
Read the full story at The Economic Times
This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
The Economic Times