HRI Airport (Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport) – Cargo, Address, Transit

About This Airport

Opened in March 2013, Mattala Rajapaksa International (IATA: HRI, ICAO: VCRI) was built to serve southeast Sri Lanka from a site about 18 km from Hambantota, but traffic never followed the ambition and the field became widely known as one of the world's emptiest airports. It is operated by the state-owned Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited (AASL); talks on an Indian joint venture were abandoned without agreement in 2020. AASL reported the highest passenger movements in the airport's history for 2025, though the figures remain far below designed capacity. Air cargo is effectively absent: zero tonnes were reported for 2021 and no dedicated freight operation is documented since. There are no based integrators and no scheduled freighter services, so the site is honestly assessed as not cargo-relevant. Shippers in the south route their air freight through Bandaranaike International (CMB) near Colombo, which holds the terminal, cold-chain and SriLankan Cargo capacity, while the deep-water port of Hambantota some 25 km away handles ocean freight. Surrounding wildlife keeps bird-strike management a genuine operational concern.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IATA code of Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport?▼

The IATA code of Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport is HRI. This three-letter code is used for unique airport identification in international air transport.

Where is Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport located?▼

Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport is located in Mattala, LK.

What is the ICAO code of Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport?▼

The ICAO code of Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport is VCRI. This four-letter code is used internationally in aviation.

What is the elevation of Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport?▼

Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport is at an elevation of 48 meters (157 ft) above sea level.

Mattala Rajapaksa International AirportHRI · VCRI

About This Airport

Frequently Asked Questions

Transit time routes from Mattala

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