Sri Lanka Wants New Partners for Airport

Apr 26, 2026, 10:00
A2

Sri Lanka Wants New Partners for Airport

Introduction

The government of Sri Lanka wants companies to give money to the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport.

Main Body

The airport opened in 2013. China gave money to build it. Now, the airport loses money. It does not have enough money to pay for electricity. Few planes fly here. Birds and wild animals often go on the runways. This makes the airport dangerous for planes. Sri Lanka owes a lot of money to other countries. The government wants to sell parts of the airport to get more money.

Conclusion

The government needs private companies to help. They want to stop losing money at the airport.

Vocabulary Learning

dangerous (adj.)
unsafe / something that can hurt you危險的
Example:It is dangerous to walk on the road without looking.
electricity (n.)
power / a form of energy used for lights and machines電力；電
Example:We use electricity to turn on the lights at home.
government (n.)
ruling group / the group of people who control a country政府
Example:The government makes new laws for the country.
owe (v.)
need to pay / to have to pay money to someone欠（債）
Example:I owe my friend ten dollars for the lunch.
private (adj.)
personal / not belonging to the government私營的；私人的
Example:This is a private school, not a government school.

Sentence Learning

The airport opened in 2013.
Time Marker: The phrase 'in 2013' tells us exactly when an action happened in the past.時間標記：短語「in 2013」告訴我們動作在過去發生的具體時間。
Now, the airport loses money.
Time Marker: The word 'now' is used at the start of the sentence to describe the present situation.時間標記：單詞「now」放在句首，用來描述現在的情況。
Birds and wild animals often go on the runways.
Connector: The word 'and' joins two different nouns to form a plural subject.連接詞：單詞「and」連接兩個不同的名詞，組成一個複數主語。
Sri Lanka owes a lot of money to other countries.
Prepositional Phrase: The phrase 'to other countries' uses the preposition 'to' to show the recipient.介詞短語：短語「to other countries」使用介詞「to」來表示接收者。
They want to stop losing money at the airport.
Prepositional Phrase: The phrase 'at the airport' uses 'at' to identify a specific location.介詞短語：短語「at the airport」使用「at」來確定一個特定的地點。
B2

Sri Lankan Government Seeks Investment for Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport

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。
C2

Sri Lankan Government Solicits Investment for Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport

Introduction

The government of Sri Lanka has issued a formal request for investment expressions regarding the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport following the collapse of a previous lease agreement.

Main Body

On April 26, the Sri Lankan administration sought new investors for the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport. This action follows the failure of a 30-year lease arrangement previously established in 2024 with a joint venture comprising Russia's Airports of Regions Management Company and India's Shaurya Aeronautics. Established in 2013 and funded via Chinese loans, the facility has remained commercially non-viable, with revenues insufficient to cover basic operational costs such as electricity. While the airport serves as a secondary diversion point for the primary gateway in Colombo and facilitates limited charter and cargo operations, it lacks scheduled commercial flights. The government posits that the site possesses latent potential for strategic investment and the development of tourism. Operational challenges are compounded by the airport's proximity to a wildlife sanctuary and its location on a migratory bird path. These factors have resulted in avian strikes and the necessity of military intervention to clear large mammals from the runways to maintain operational capacity. From a broader macroeconomic perspective, the airport is linked to a pattern of infrastructure projects funded by China during the tenure of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. These obligations contributed to a 2022 sovereign debt default of US$46 billion. Consequently, since securing an International Monetary Fund bailout in 2023, the state has attempted to privatize various loss-making enterprises, though these efforts have not yet yielded results. This context is further informed by the 2017 transfer of the Hambantota port to China Merchants Port Holdings on a 99-year lease, an event that prompted international analysis regarding the use of debt as a mechanism for geopolitical influence.

Conclusion

The Sri Lankan government continues to seek private sector capital to mitigate the financial losses of the Mattala airport as part of a wider effort to address state-owned enterprise inefficiency.

Vocabulary Learning

latent (adj.)
dormant / existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or concealed潛在的；潛伏的
Example:The new policy aims to uncover the latent talents of students from underprivileged backgrounds.
mitigate (v.)
alleviate / to make something less severe, serious, or painful減輕；緩解
Example:The city implemented new drainage systems to mitigate the risk of flooding during the monsoon season.
non-viable (adj.)
unfeasible / not capable of working successfully; not feasible不可行的；無法持續經營的
Example:The startup's business model proved non-viable after failing to secure a steady revenue stream.
posit (v.)
postulate / to suggest or assume the existence, fact, or truth of something as a basis for reasoning主張；假設；認為
Example:Economists posit that a decrease in interest rates will eventually stimulate consumer spending.
solicit (v.)
request / to ask for or try to obtain something from someone徵求；請求
Example:The charity will solicit donations from local businesses to fund the new community center.

Sentence Learning

Established in 2013 and funded via Chinese loans, the facility has remained commercially non-viable, with revenues insufficient to cover basic operational costs such as electricity.
Reduced Relative Clauses & Absolute Construction: The sentence begins with past participle phrases acting as adjectives, followed by a 'with + noun + adjective' absolute construction to provide circumstantial detail.緊縮相對子句與獨立主格結構: 句首使用過去分詞短語作為形容詞修飾主語，隨後以「with + 名詞 + 形容詞」的獨立主格結構提供補充細節。
While the airport serves as a secondary diversion point for the primary gateway in Colombo and facilitates limited charter and cargo operations, it lacks scheduled commercial flights.
Concessive Clause with Parallelism: The use of 'While' introduces a concession, balanced by parallel verbs ('serves' and 'facilitates') to contrast the airport's minor functions with its lack of main operations.讓步從句與平行結構: 使用 'While' 引導讓步從句，並透過平行動詞（'serves' 與 'facilitates'）將機場的次要功能與其缺乏主要航線的現狀進行對比。
Operational challenges are compounded by the airport's proximity to a wildlife sanctuary and its location on a migratory bird path.
Passive Voice with Abstract Nominalization: The passive 'are compounded by' shifts focus to the challenges, while 'proximity' and 'location' turn physical realities into abstract nouns for formal precision.被動語態與抽象名詞化: 被動語態 'are compounded by' 將焦點轉移至挑戰本身，而 'proximity' 與 'location' 則將物理實體轉化為抽象名詞，以提升正式語感的精確度。
Consequently, since securing an International Monetary Fund bailout in 2023, the state has attempted to privatize various loss-making enterprises, though these efforts have not yet yielded results.
Participial Prepositional Phrase & Contrastive Conjunction: The phrase 'since securing' uses a gerund to establish a timeframe, while 'though' introduces a subordinate clause that qualifies the main action.分詞介詞短語與對比連詞: 短語 'since securing' 使用動名詞建立時間框架，而 'though' 則引導從句對主句動作進行補充說明或轉折。
This context is further informed by the 2017 transfer of the Hambantota port to China Merchants Port Holdings on a 99-year lease, an event that prompted international analysis regarding the use of debt as a mechanism for geopolitical influence.
Appositive Noun Phrase with Relative Clause: The noun phrase 'an event' acts as an appositive to the preceding clause, followed by a relative clause that expands on the significance of the event.同位語名詞短語與關係從句: 名詞短語 'an event' 作為前述內容的同位語，隨後接續關係從句以進一步闡述該事件的重大意義。