Colombo Airport's second terminal construction to begin before November

Dhaka: Japan has confirmed that construction of the second passenger terminal at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Sri Lanka will start before November this year.

The confirmation came during talks between Sri Lanka's Minister of Ports, Civil Aviation, and Energy, Anura Karunathilaka, and a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) delegation led by Senior Vice President Hara Shohei and Chief Representative Honzu Shigeo, held on August 14 at the Ministry premises in Colombo.

According to an official statement, the project had previously been initiated and later halted. It was restarted following discussions between Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Japanese government.

Several subsequent rounds of talks took place involving the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, and JICA officials.

Tasks related to securing an additional loan facility required for the project have also been completed, while discussions with the construction company selected through the tender process are now in their final stages.

The Sri Lanakan minister stressed the need to accelerate the Terminal 2 project, noting that the government is working to create a favorable environment for tourists and investors in Sri Lanka.

The meeting also touched on support for establishing a Vessel Traffic Management System to handle rising ship traffic at the Port of Colombo. It was agreed that this request would be forwarded through the Department of External Resources.

The BIA second terminal project has faced repeated delays since it was first proposed, with funding and procurement issues previously stalling progress. Japanese-backed infrastructure financing has remained a key component of Sri Lanka's civil aviation expansion plans in recent years.