Sri Lanka’s aviation market has recovered from the 2022 economic crisis faster than most forecasts allowed for, and the constraints an operator meets here in 2026 are the opposite of the ones they would have met in 2023. Capacity, not demand, is now the binding issue at the main field.

This page sets out where the market actually stands and what is changing at each airport. It is written for operators, brokers and flight departments deciding how to plan into Sri Lanka — not as an economic overview.

Where traffic actually is

Airports and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) reported the following for calendar year 2025:

Measure	2025
International passenger movements	10,202,109
International aircraft movements	64,340
Cargo throughput	190,280 tonnes
Airlines operating	46
Destinations served	72, across 34 countries
Transit passengers	946,811
Air tourist arrivals	2,335,076

Growth has continued into 2026. Bandaranaike International (VCBI) alone handled 4,748,481 passenger movements and 30,659 aircraft movements in the first six months of 2026, with 424,856 of those passengers in transit. National tourist arrivals reached 1,146,573 over the same period.

Two things follow for anyone planning an operation here.

• The market is busy enough that infrastructure is the constraint. VCBI has been operating at or near its handling capacity and has declined additional scheduled frequencies on space grounds. For non-scheduled traffic that translates directly into slot availability and parking, neither of which should be assumed.
• Growth is broad, not just Colombo. The secondary fields recorded their best years on record in 2025 — which matters if you are looking for an alternative to a congested VCBI.

What is changing at each field

VCBI / CMB — Bandaranaike International, Colombo

The significant development is Terminal 2, a JICA‑funded project long delayed and now restarting. As of August 2026, construction is expected to begin before November 2026, with additional financing arrangements reported as secured and a new Japanese contractor to be appointed through the ongoing tender process.

When complete, Terminal 2 adds capacity for around nine million passengers a year, taking VCBI to roughly fifteen million annually, across roughly 180,000 m² of new floor area with 96 check‑in counters and eight baggage claim belts.

What it means operationally: relief is years away, and the construction period itself will not make a congested airport less congested. Plan VCBI slots and parking as genuine constraints for the foreseeable future, not formalities.

VCRI / HRI — Mattala Rajapaksa International

Mattala recorded 140,614 passengers and 703 international aircraft movements in 2025 — its highest since opening in 2013. That remains modest against a facility built for around a million passengers a year.

What it means operationally: the airport that was criticised as underused is, for business aviation, the most straightforward field in the country. A 3,500 m runway, no congestion, and space. The constraint is location — it serves the south, and Colombo is a long drive. For a southern itinerary, or where VCBI parking is the binding issue on a multi‑day stay, it is the obvious alternative.

VCCJ / JAF — Jaffna International

Jaffna handled 53,443 international passengers across 1,138 international movements in 2025, its strongest year since operations began in 2019.

A terminal expansion is scheduled for completion by mid‑2027 (July 2027), and runway extensions have been planned in phases — initially to around 2,300 m to accommodate narrow‑bodies, with further extensions discussed but not yet fixed in public documents. Today the runway is effectively around 1,400 m, limiting the field to smaller turboprops and light jets.

What it means operationally: plan against the ~1,400 m that exists, not the 3,200 m that is discussed. For most business jets Jaffna is not currently an option, and the northern market is served through VCBI.

VCCC / RML — Colombo International, Ratmalana

Ratmalana’s role is proximity. It sits inside Colombo, roughly twenty minutes from the city against ninety from VCBI, which is a material difference to a principal. Its 1,833 m runway suits light and midsize aircraft, and it operates with daytime‑preferred hours; night operations generally require prior permission and are subject to curfew/PPR rules.

What it means operationally: the best field in the country for a day trip or a short turn with a city‑centre destination, provided the aircraft’s performance case works and the timing is inside daylight hours or the permission is in hand. Always verify current operating hours and PPR requirements in the latest AIP/NOTAM before filing.

Airspace and regulatory direction

The change most likely to affect flight planning is in the airspace rather than on the ground.

Sri Lanka has operated User Preferred Routes in the Colombo FIR since 2013, from FL245 to FL460. RNP‑10 capable aircraft equipped with ADS‑C and CPDLC may flight‑plan a UPR with prior coordination and approval — a separate requirement from your overflight/landing permit, and one operators regularly miss.

Per ICAO and regional documentation, Sri Lanka has been progressing toward more flexible routing (including Direct Route Airspace concepts) above FL290 within Colombo surveillance airspace, working through ground system capability assessment and hazard identification. Implementation has been targeted in the 2025–2026 window, but operators should treat this as planned/under implementation and confirm the current status in the AIP before relying on it.

What it means operationally: if you fly this FIR regularly and your aircraft is suitably equipped, the routing flexibility available to you is greater than a standard published airway plan suggests — but it requires equipment, prior coordination and lead time. Check the current AIP position at the planning stage and allow extra time for UPR approvals.

Regulation itself sits with the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL), which issues overflight, technical stop and landing permits and approves slot allocations. Our CAASL guide covers the permit process in detail.

The national carrier

SriLankan Airlines matters to visiting operators mainly because its group entities are the principal ground handling provider at VCBI and play a central role in slot coordination there.

Its own position has been unsettled. A plan to divest a 49% stake has given way to a restructuring‑led approach, and the airline has faced engine availability problems that have grounded narrowbody aircraft. A US$175m bond restructuring was finalised in March 2026, with over 99% bondholder participation, exchanging defaulted notes for cash plus new 4% government bonds due 2028.

What it means operationally: handling at VCBI runs through a single dominant provider, which is why appointing a supervisory flight support company is standard practice for non-scheduled operations here rather than an upsell. Someone needs to be accountable for your turn who is not also handling the scheduled traffic queue.

Planning into this market

Three things summarise the position as it stands in August 2026:

• Demand has recovered; capacity has not caught up. Treat VCBI slots and parking as things to confirm, not assume.
• The secondary fields are genuinely usable and at record traffic — VCRI in particular is an underused asset for business aviation.
• The airspace is more flexible than the published airway structure suggests, if you have the equipment and give the notice — but confirm the current UPR/DRA status in the AIP before filing.

We operate in this market daily. If you are assessing Sri Lanka for a route, a season or a single trip, we will give you the current position on any of the above.

Talk to our operations desk →

Frequently asked questions

How many passengers do Sri Lanka’s airports handle?
Airports and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) reported 10,202,109 international passenger movements and 64,340 international aircraft movements across the country in calendar year 2025, with 46 airlines serving 72 destinations in 34 countries. Bandaranaike International alone handled 4,748,481 passenger movements in the first half of 2026.

Is Bandaranaike International Airport being expanded?
Yes. Terminal 2, funded through JICA, is a long‑delayed project now restarting, with construction expected to begin before November 2026. It will add capacity for around nine million passengers a year, taking the airport to roughly fifteen million annually. Relief is years away, so slots and parking remain constraints in the meantime.

Which Sri Lankan airport has the longest runway?
Mattala Rajapaksa International (VCRI) at 3,500 m, slightly longer than Bandaranaike’s 3,350 m. Mattala also has by far the most space, having handled 140,614 passengers in 2025 against a design capacity of around a million — which makes it a practical alternative when VCBI parking is constrained.

Can operators fly user preferred routes in Sri Lankan airspace?
Yes. User Preferred Routes have operated in the Colombo FIR since 2013 from FL245 to FL460, available to RNP‑10 capable aircraft equipped with ADS‑C and CPDLC, with prior coordination/approval required. That approval is separate from the overflight permit. Sri Lanka has also been progressing toward more flexible routing (Direct Route Airspace concepts) above FL290, but operators should confirm the current AIP position before relying on it.

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Pre‑flight checklist: Sri Lanka (non‑scheduled operations, 2026)

Use this as a quick internal checklist before you file.

Permits & slots

• Overflight/landing permit:
  • Submit via CAASL (flightpermission@caa.lk) with the correct non‑scheduled/private application form.
  • Minimum notice (typical):
    • Non‑scheduled commercial passenger landing: 30 days
    • Private landing: 7 days
    • Overflight/technical stop: 3 days
  • Flight clearance is valid for 48 hours from the intended operation; re‑clearance needed if delayed beyond that.
• VCBI slot & parking:
  • Treat as constrained. Confirm slot and parking in writing before filing FPL, especially for multi‑day stays or peak periods.
• Handling:
  • Handling at VCBI is channelled through the main airline handler (SriLankan group). Appoint a supervisory flight support company for non‑scheduled turns to avoid being queued behind scheduled traffic.

Airspace & routing

• UPR in Colombo FIR:
  • Confirm your aircraft’s RNP‑10, ADS‑C and CPDLC status.
  • Allow time for UPR coordination/approval (separate from permit).
  • Verify current lead times and procedures in the latest AIP ENR sections; do not assume a fixed “7 days” without checking.
• Direct Route Airspace / Free Route concepts:
  • Treat as planned/under implementation above FL290.
  • Confirm current status in AIP/CAASL notices before building a route that depends on it.

Airport‑specific

• VCBI (CMB):
  • Assume slot/parking constraints.
  • Terminal 2 construction starting before November 2026; no near‑term relief.
• VCRI (HRI):
  • Good alternative for business aviation; 3,500 m runway; low congestion.
  • Best for southern itineraries or when VCBI parking is the binding constraint.
• VCCJ (JAF):
  • Plan for ~1,400 m runway performance; terminal expansion due mid‑2027.
  • Not currently suitable for most mid/large business jets.
• VCCC (RML):
  • Short runway (~1,833 m); city‑centre location.
  • Daytime‑preferred operations; night/after‑hours need PPR and may be restricted. Verify current curfew/operating hours in AIP/NOTAM.

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Reviewed August 2026 by SEAS Operations Team, Sri Lanka Executive Aviation Services. Traffic figures are as reported by Airports and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) and cover calendar year 2025 and the first half of 2026. This page is reviewed every six months; contact our operations desk for the current position.