BIA to consider domestic terminal based on demand
View(s):Sri Lanka’s main international airport, the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) could have a dedicated domestic terminal for charters and carriers operating within the island, if demand rises in the future. Although there is no urgent need due to the availability of only a few domestic carriers operational in addition to the Sri Lanka Airforce (SLA) run Helitours operation, a terminal is likely to be considered in about three years’ time.
Airport and Aviation Services Ltd (AASL) Chairman Ananda Wimalasena told the Business Times that currently there was no urgent need for a domestic terminal. However, if the number of domestic carriers increases to about six there could be a possibility of estabishing a dedicated domestic terminal at the BIA, he said.
Otherwise in the future, Mr. Wimalasena explained they could look at separating a part of the international terminals for domestic operations. Currently, only Cinnamon Air is operating from the BIA whereas most other domestic carriers including the Helitours were operating from the Ratmalana domestic airport, he said.
“If there is a demand for a facility and if there are regular scheduled flights” the authorities would consider establishing a separate terminal for domestic carriers, the AASL Chairman said. He pointed out that at present they were working on the designs of the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) funded Terminal II at the BIA that is expected to commence construction by next year.
In the meantime, the AASL is developing Terminal I by improving its layout at a cost of approximately Rs.750 million.
He noted that capacity at the airport that was meant for only six million passengers per year was seeing about eight million passengers per year at present.
With the second terminal coming into being within three years capacity could increase by another nine million passengers per year to 15 million, Mr. Wimalasena said.