Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport, Mattala

The second and most recent international airport in Sri Lanka is the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) in Hambantota. Situated in the south of the country, it is state-of-the-art in terms of technology, service and facility. With 12,000 square metres of passenger terminal and 1,000,000 square feet of duty free area, the MRIA has a capacity for one million passengers per annum. The location of MRIA is significant as Hambantota is poised for development with an industrial IT area, convention centre, botanical garden, beach park and hotels to be completed in the near future. The world famous Shangri La Hotel will open its doors in Hambantota soon and the southern highway will be extended along with other support roads leading to the new airport. With four international airlines operating to and from MRIA, this new airport will soon be busy with passenger transport once the infrastructural expansion is completed.