The small airport was opened over a decade ago in Hambantota, a four-and-a-half-hour drive from the capital city of Colombo, and has seen very few passengers pass through its terminal
A multi-million-pound building has been dubbed the “world’s loneliest” airport because it welcomes less than ten passengers a day.
Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, has also been nicknamed the “world’s quietest” airport due to its low foot count, which rarely passes more than seven people each day. The premises, which is located just four hours away from the capital city of Colombo, is surrounded by a jungle and small villages.
Despite a cab rental office and hotel being situated nearby, barely anyone passes through the airport which was built during a major presidential campaign, according to the Express. The airport opened its doors more than ten years ago in 2013 and used up £159 million to build. The then-president Mahinda Rajapaksa revealed he had high hopes for the international airport during his presidential run in 2013. After all, many of its features were funded by China, as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.
But it had little popularity with locals or travellers despite the fortune spent building it. The airport was initially intended to have other infrastructure built around it – allowing remote Sri Lanka to benefit from thousands of Western and Asian tourists. However, the plans never came to fruition and as a result very few flights ever leave the 11,483-foot runway.
Rajapaksa left his position in January 2015 after being defeated in the winter elections – partly due to the fact his vanity project was rapidly losing money. With low flight revenue, the airport’s unused air cargo terminals were leased to store the rice bumper harvest from the region as well as to provide long-term parking to unused aeroplanes. Whereas, the 12-desks originally built to be able to serve one million passengers, remain deserted.
The future of the airport remains unclear with rumours circulating that a burgeoning India might be willing to take on the site, although this has yet to be confirmed. Due to its lack of attraction, Sri Lankan politician Maithripala Yapa Sirisena, previously promised to allow struggling airlines to axe its flights to Mattala and scrap its hub at the airport.
An airline said at the time: “The reality is Mattala Rajapaksa International is not needed and is a distraction in Sri Lanka’s efforts to turn itself around. The flag carrier continues to be highly unprofitable and having to meet the political requirement of developing and operating a second hub will make it even harder to meet its targets for financial improvement.”
