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Inside of BIA goes live on Google Indoor Maps!

April 08, 2021

Google Indoor Maps was launched at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) today, becoming the first indoor facility to enable this feature in Sri Lanka. SriLankan Airlines and Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited teamed up in a remarkable joint project that resulted in BIA becoming the first venue in Sri Lanka to be enabled on Google Indoor Maps, accessible on smart phones and tabs on both Apple and Android devices. Google Indoor Maps puts yet another resource in the hands of passengers and visitors for finding out many possibilities available to them before they start their journey or arrive at the airport.

Passengers and visitors to BIA can access detailed digital floor plans of the Departure, Transit and Arrival Terminals with just a few easy swipes on smart phones or tabs. Google Indoor Maps can be accessed via the desktop version of Google Maps as well as from the Google Maps Mobile App for Android and Apple iOS devices. SriLankan Airlines, as the authorised ground handler of BIA, and AASL as the airport operator took on this project in the firm belief that this would be a fresh experience for Passengers.

Initiatives such as these are furthering the digital and IT roadmap of the country in conforming with the vision of HE the President, under the guidance of the Minister of Tourism, State Minister of Aviation and Export Zones Development and the leadership of the Major General (Rtd.) G A Chandrasiri, Chairman of AASL and Ashok Pathirage Chairman of SriLankan Airlines.

Google Maps is a world-renowned online mapping service and is a primarily wayfinding tool with millions of users around the world. The indoor maps at BIA will feature gates and check-in counters, amenities, and retail outlets across multiple levels to make it easier for passengers to navigate through the terminal. Visitors will benefit from the intuitive layout and functionality, such as zooming for granularity and search functionality to spend less time searching for building directories and more time discovering new points of interest making their travel through BIA a seamless experience. Further, this facility will enable virtual visibility of B2B establishments located within the airport to optimize their business processes and deliver better services to end-customers and partners.