The government is preparing to sign the Rs. 48,969 million loan agreements with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the construction of the second phase of the development work for the Bandaranaike International Airport.

The Cabinet has approved the signing of this agreement and the government says by this construction and extending the facilities it expects to increase the annual servicing of passengers at the Bandaranaike International Airport to 15 million by 2020.

Currently the airport serves some seven million passengers per year and it has almost reached its maximum.

This project was originally planned during the tenure of the previous government.