Japan International Cooperation Agency has signed an agreement with Sri Lanka to lend (US$ 400 million) to expand the Bandaranayake International Airport Colombo (Katunayake) according to a statement released by JICA.

The agency said it will fund building a new passenger terminal at the Bandaranaike International Airport which suffers congestion from growing tourism.

On behalf both sides Vice President of JICA Hidetoshi Irigaki and the Chairman of the Airports and Aviation Service Company S. Saman Ediriweera in the presence of Minister of Transport Nimal Siripala de Silva signed the agreement to provide a Rs. 49 billion line of credit for the project which is estimated to cost Rs. 82 billion.

The terminal building is planned to be opened in 2020 and will enable handling of 15 million passengers per year, more than doubling the present capacity and ease the congestion.

The terminal building is planned to be opened in 2020 and will enable handling of 15 million passengers per year, more than doubling the present capacity and ease the congestion.