The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the procurement and installation of 12 automated passenger clearance gates at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), aimed at streamlining passenger clearance procedures.
Cabinet approval was initially granted at its meeting held on May 19, 2025, to procure four automated passenger clearance gates for the airport.
The government is also planning to expand the automated clearance facility, which is currently available only to Sri Lankan nationals, to foreign nationals entering and departing the country. The expansion is expected to be implemented alongside the introduction of the e-passport system in 2027.
The government has further identified the need to increase the number of automated clearance gates in response to the rapid growth in air passenger traffic, driven in part by the expansion of the aviation, business and tourism sectors.
Accordingly, the Cabinet approved a proposal submitted by the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs to initiate the procurement and installation of 12 automated passenger clearance gates in total—the four gates already approved and an additional eight gates—following the established procurement procedures.
