SL to enter PPP with India to jointly manage MRIA

An agreement will entered into with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to jointly manage the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) with AAI holding the majority of shares, Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said yesterday.

The discussion to have a PPP for operations and management of the MRIA is in progress although a final decision has not been reached upto now

“The discussion to have a PPP for operations and management of the MRIA is in progress although a final decision has not been reached upto now,” Minister De Silva said.

He added that negotiations were taking place in an extremely transparent and open manner and the he would present the final PPP agreement to Parliament before it is signed. “We have nothing to hide. The necessary legal provisions would be introduced to safeguard national interests,” he stressed.

Commenting on Indian Civil Aviation State Minister Jayant Sinha’s denial in the Lok Sabha last week that India was in a move to buy the MRIA, Minister De Silva said the Indian government did not involve itself in discussions between the two parties and hence it was understandable that Sinha said there was no such move.

The MRIA, built at a cost of US$ 210 million (Rs. 33 billion) and opened in March 2013, has been dubbed the world’s emptiest airport and presently incurs heavy losses running into billions of rupees.