Sri Lanka's Mattala Has Become 'World's Emptiest Airport'. Can Indian Investment Revive It?

Last Updated:May 18, 2026, 11:43 IST

Colombo’s latest investment push has attracted attention in New Delhi because of the airport’s location near the Chinese-operated Hambantota Port

Sri Lanka has reopened the bidding process for the operation and development of the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport near Hambantota, reviving global attention around a facility once branded the “world’s emptiest airport". The move comes amid renewed Indian interest in strategic infrastructure projects in the island nation, particularly in regions where Chinese-backed investments have long dominated the landscape.

Colombo’s latest investment push has attracted attention in New Delhi because of the airport’s location near the Chinese-operated Hambantota Port — a site that has become central to geopolitical competition in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lankan authorities are now seeking foreign partners to commercially revive the loss-making airport through long-term operational and development rights.

The development has once again raised a larger question: how did an airport built with grand ambitions become a global symbol of underused infrastructure — and can Indian investment finally change its fortunes?

How Mattala Became the ‘World’s Emptiest Airport’

The Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport was inaugurated in 2013 during the presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa as part of an ambitious plan to transform Hambantota into Sri Lanka’s second major economic hub after Colombo.

The airport was built with Chinese loans worth more than $200 million and was envisioned as a gateway for tourism, trade and logistics in southern Sri Lanka. Alongside the airport, Hambantota saw a series of mega projects including a deep-sea port, highways, convention centres and sports infrastructure.

But the airport struggled almost immediately after opening.

Airlines showed little interest in operating flights to Mattala because Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport already handled the bulk of international passenger traffic. Hambantota, despite its strategic location near shipping lanes, lacked the commercial and tourism demand required to sustain regular airline operations.

Within a few years, several airlines withdrew services due to poor passenger numbers. Reports about the airport handling only a handful of passengers a day soon led to international media branding it the “world’s emptiest airport".

At different points, parts of the airport were reportedly used for aircraft parking and grain storage because of the lack of traffic.

The airport’s remote location in southern Sri Lanka became one of its biggest disadvantages. Hambantota is far from the country’s primary population and business centres, making it difficult to attract both passengers and airlines.

Operational issues also added to the airport’s troubles. The surrounding region is close to wildlife habitats, leading to concerns over bird strikes and reports of wild animals wandering near access roads.

Critics argued that the airport was driven more by political ambition than economic viability. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government had projected Hambantota as a future economic powerhouse, but several of the region’s infrastructure projects struggled to generate expected returns.

The airport gradually became one of the most cited examples of “white elephant" projects — expensive infrastructure developments that fail to generate enough economic activity to justify their costs.

Hambantota and China’s Expanding Footprint

The airport’s story cannot be separated from the larger geopolitical significance of Hambantota.

The nearby Hambantota Port, also built with Chinese financing, was leased to a Chinese company for 99 years after Sri Lanka faced mounting debt pressures. The agreement intensified global scrutiny over China’s growing strategic influence in the Indian Ocean.

For India, Hambantota has remained a sensitive issue because of its proximity to key maritime routes and India’s southern coastline.

That is why India is closely watching the latest developments around Mattala Airport.

Indian companies are now seen as potential investors or operators in the airport project, giving India an opportunity to expand its economic presence in an area where Chinese-backed infrastructure has dominated for years.

Can Indian Investment Revive The Airport?

Indian interest in Mattala is not driven only by geopolitics.

Aviation experts believe the airport’s large land area, long runway and uncongested airspace could make it suitable for aviation-related businesses beyond passenger traffic. These include maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, cargo operations, aircraft parking and pilot training facilities.

India’s aviation market is among the fastest growing globally, and Indian airlines increasingly require additional maintenance and logistics infrastructure. Supporters of the project argue that Mattala could evolve into a specialised aviation services hub rather than compete directly with Colombo as a passenger airport.

There have been earlier attempts at Indian involvement as well. In previous years, Sri Lanka explored joint operational models with India for the airport, though commercial revival never fully materialised. Now, with Colombo once again inviting foreign bids under flexible long-term arrangements, India is being viewed as one of the most serious stakeholders.

The airport’s biggest challenge, however, continues to be the lack of natural passenger demand. Even with foreign investment, airlines will need strong commercial reasons to increase operations there.

If integrated properly with maritime trade, warehousing and regional cargo movement, the airport could eventually become part of a broader logistics ecosystem in southern Sri Lanka.

For Sri Lanka, reviving Mattala would help reduce the financial burden of maintaining an underused national asset while attracting fresh foreign investment at a time when the country is still recovering from economic crisis.

For India, the project offers both strategic and commercial value in an increasingly contested Indian Ocean region.

More than a decade after its inauguration, the airport that once became a global symbol of infrastructure excess is once again at the centre of a high-stakes economic and geopolitical experiment.

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