Sri Lanka invites bids for China-built ‘world’s emptiest airport’ after lease deal collapses

Sri Lanka’s government on Sunday invited fresh investment proposals for its struggling Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport after a proposed 30-year lease with an Indo-Russian joint venture failed to materialise, AFP reported. Built with Chinese loans near a wildlife sanctuary on the island’s southern coast, the airport has had no regular flights since opening in 2013. It has consistently failed to generate enough revenue to cover even basic expenses such as electricity, making it a continued drain on public finances. Named after former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, the airport was part of a wider infrastructure push backed by heavy Chinese borrowing. Many…