(CT) Second BIA investor also backs down Govt to seek new investor for 2-star hotel

By Mario Andree

The Cabinet agreed to seek a new investor to develop the second land plot within the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) premises belonging to Airport and Aviation Services, after the current investor backed down.
Singapore-based TP Real Estate Holdings forfeited the construction of the proposed hotel, following the footsteps of the Malaysian investor before it.

Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Nimal Siripala De Silva was granted approval to seek a new investor for the proposed hotel on Tuesday (12).

Accordingly, the Government will seek an investor willing to construct a 100-roomed 2-star hotel, to meet the requirement of the growing number of transit passengers.

The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation allocated two plots of land within the BIA premises for hotel development, awarding them to ECM Libra Financial Group Berhad of Malaysia and TP Real Estate Holdings of Singapore in March this year.
In October this year, Malaysia-based ECM Libra Financial Group informed the Government that it would not go ahead with the proposed hotels. The Ministry then sought Cabinet approval to identify another potential investor.
The BIA in Katunayake handled over 9.2 million passengers in 2016. Statistics show the numbers of passengers has grown at an average of 9 per cent during the last five years.

The Ministry expects more than 20 million passengers to be handled by 2020 and highlighted the importance of increasing facilities to better handle travelers.

Source: Ceylon Today

Image Courtesy: aviationvoice.lk