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Role of digital transformation in SL's continued aviation sector growth
The Island
|September 12, 2025
Sri Lanka's aviation sector is experiencing a strong recovery, recording nearly 10 percent year-on-year passenger growth.
Yet, without urgent digital transformation and stronger collaboration among stakeholders, this growth could quickly become a bottleneck, warned SITA Asia Pacific president Sumesh Patel.
Speaking to The Island Financial Review ahead of the SITA IT Aerotech Summit, at ITC Ratnadipa Wednesday which brought together SriLankan Airlines, Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd (AASL), Immigration, and Customs. He stressed that aviation is an industry that cannot operate in isolation.
"The first impression of any country is its airport. If Sri Lanka wants to leverage its location and tourism potential, it must make passenger journeys smoother, faster, and more connected, Patel told The Island Financial Review.
Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) is already congested, and the long-delayed second terminal remains years away. Patel warned that current infrastructure will not be able to cope with projected demand.
This story is from the September 12, 2025 edition of The Island.
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