Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation, Nimal Siripala de Silva plans to expand the Passenger Terminal at the Palali Airport and provide additional facilities within the next five months. The Minister expressed these views at his visit to the airport on June 17, 2023, to assess the progress of future developments at the facility. During the visit, the Minister highlighted the urgent need for expansion, citing the current congestion and operational limitations caused by insufficient terminal space.

The Minister stated that the Indian airline, 'Alliance Air,' currently operates four flights per week at the airport. However, these flights are carrying less than 75 passengers each time. "The current condition of the short airstrip does not allow for the accommodation of A320 flights," he said. 

Accordingly, 900m of the existing 2,300m airstrip will undergo renovation  and extension, adding an additional 300m to its length. The Minister assured that a few land areas will be utilized for this purpose, ensuring no inconvenience to the community. 

The Minister emphasized that upon the successful completion of these renovations, Palali Airport will not only serve Indian airlines but will also accommodate airlines from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Maldives. The Minister further highlighted that discussions have already taken place regarding necessary steps to be implemented in relation to these measures.

The Minister has granted approval for a financial allocation of Rs. 160 million from the Airport & Aviation Services Sri Lanka Ltd., for the expansion of the passenger terminal and related facility upgrades at the Palali Airport.

During the visit, he also inspected facilities provided to passengers who arrived on board the 'Alliance Air' flight from Chennai, India at 1:55 am local time that day.

The Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda, Jaffna District MP M.A. Sumanthiran, the Secretary to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation K.D.S. Ruwanchandra and the  Chairman of the Airport & Aviation Services Sri Lanka Ltd., Major General (Rtd.) G. A. Chandrasiri also joined the occasion.