According to the latest COPE or Committee on Public Enterprises report, there have been 16,712 departures from the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) during the first nine months of 2014, from January to September.

According to the report, arrivals at the MRIA have been only 13,371 during this same period.

COPE has asked for further details on whether there were internal or overseas passenger movements.

While the Katunayake International Airport has handled 7.3 million passengers during 2013, it has handled 5.8 million passengers during the first nine months of the same year.