Colombo, Dec. 30 -- The government has approved the installation of four automatic passenger clearance gates at the departure terminal of Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) as part of ongoing efforts to upgrade airport facilities to international standards.

The development is being carried out under a cooperation agreement between the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Government of Japan. In 2023, improvements at BIA commenced with the support of a Japanese grant amounting to 1,170 million yen under the project titled "Preparation for Border Infectious Disease Control in Southeast Asian Countries."

Under this project, four automatic passenger clearance gates have already been installed at the airport's arrival...