Sri Lankan Government Seeks Investment for Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport

Apr 26, 2026, 10:00

Introduction

The Sri Lankan government has officially asked for investment proposals for the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport after a previous lease agreement failed.

Main Body

On April 26, the administration looked for new investors following the collapse of a 30-year lease deal signed in 2024 with a joint venture between companies from Russia and India. Built in 2013 with loans from China, the airport has struggled to make money and cannot even cover basic costs like electricity. While it is used as a backup for the main airport in Colombo and handles some cargo flights, it still lacks regular commercial flights. However, the government asserted that the airport has hidden potential for tourism and strategic growth. Operating the airport is difficult because it is located near a wildlife sanctuary and on a bird migration route. As a result, birds often hit aircraft, and the military must sometimes remove large animals from the runways to keep the airport safe and functional. From a financial perspective, this airport is part of a larger group of projects funded by China under former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. These loans contributed to a massive debt default of US$46 billion in 2022. Since receiving a bailout from the International Monetary Fund in 2023, the government has tried to privatize several companies that are losing money. This situation is similar to the 2017 deal where the Hambantota port was leased to China for 99 years, which led many experts to criticize the use of debt for political influence.

Conclusion

The Sri Lankan government is continuing its search for private investment to reduce the financial losses of the Mattala airport and improve the efficiency of state-owned businesses.

Vocabulary Learning

assert (v.)
to state clearly and firmly that something is true斷言；堅稱
Example:The company continues to assert its innocence despite the recent allegations.
collapse (n.)
a sudden failure of a system, organization, or plan崩潰；瓦解
Example:The collapse of the peace talks led to further conflict in the region.
perspective (n.)
a particular way of considering or looking at something觀點；角度
Example:From a financial perspective, the project is likely to be very profitable in the long run.
proposal (n.)
a formal suggestion or plan建議；提議
Example:The government is reviewing several investment proposals for the new infrastructure project.
strategic (adj.)
helping to achieve a specific plan or purpose戰略性的；策略上的
Example:The airport's location is of great strategic importance for international trade.

Sentence Learning

Built in 2013 with loans from China, the airport has struggled to make money and cannot even cover basic costs like electricity.
Participle Phrase: This phrase functions as a reduced relative clause ("Which was built..."), providing background information about the subject.分詞短語：此短語充當省略了的關係子句（"Which was built..."），為主語提供背景資訊。
While it is used as a backup for the main airport in Colombo and handles some cargo flights, it still lacks regular commercial flights.
Conjunction for Contrast: The word "While" is used here to introduce a contrast between the airport's current functions and its lack of commercial success.對比連詞：「While」在此用於引導對比，指出該機場目前的用途與其缺乏商業成效之間的矛盾。
Operating the airport is difficult because it is located near a wildlife sanctuary and on a bird migration route.
Passive Voice: The passive form "is located" is used to describe a state or geographical position, focusing on the location itself.被動語態：被動式「is located」用於描述狀態或地理位置，重點在於位置本身。
This situation is similar to the 2017 deal where the Hambantota port was leased to China for 99 years, which led many experts to criticize the use of debt for political influence.
Relative Clause: The word "which" starts a non-defining relative clause that comments on the entire preceding situation.關係子句：「which」引導一個非限制性關係子句，對前文描述的整個情況進行評論。
The Sri Lankan government is continuing its search for private investment to reduce the financial losses of the Mattala airport and improve the efficiency of state-owned businesses.
Infinitive of Purpose: The use of "to reduce" and "improve" explains the specific objective or reason behind the government's action.不定式表示目的：使用「to reduce」和「improve」解釋了政府行動的具體目標或原因。