Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) is envisioned as second international Airport for Sri Lanka ,alternative aerodrome to Bandaranaike International Airport serving Southern and Eastern Provinces of the island .
The new international airport inaugurated on 18th March 2013 is expected to expand the local aviation industry whilst being a catalyst for the country’s economic development enabling international trade, tourism, vocational training and employment. It is being implemented as an eco-friendly project.
The first stage of the airport has now been completed to serve one million passengers per year; it will also handle 45,000 Mt of air cargo. A total of 2,000 hectares has been reserved for the project out of which 800 hectares have been used for the stage one