The Cabinet of Ministers has approved an extension of the concessionary period for the deviation tax at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), aiming to promote scheduled international flights to and from the airport.
As per the Cabinet decision on January 6, 2025, airlines operating scheduled flights at MRIA were exempted from the deviation tax. This concession has already enabled some airlines to operate international flights to the airport, and several other carriers have shown interest in beginning services.
The extension, approved on the proposal of the Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation, will now continue until June 26, 2027. Authorities expect that this measure will attract more international airlines and maintain existing flight operations, further boosting MRIA’s connectivity and utilization.
