SITA, the global leader in air transport technology, held its Aerotech Connect event in Sri Lanka at ITC Ratnadipa on 10 September 2025. Being the world’s leading specialist in air transport communications and IT, SITA aims to leverage its expertise to make the travel experience much smoother.
At the event, SITA commended progress at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) but emphasized the need for accelerated automation and digital transformation to meet Sri Lanka’s growing aviation and tourism demand.
The airport is adding 20 new self-service kiosks to complement the existing eight, along with a self-bag drop facility, while enabling global carriers to use self-service check-in in phases. Passenger traffic at BIA grew 16% to 5 million in the first half of 2025, with total traffic forecast to reach 14 million by 2027.
SITA Asia Pacific President Sumesh Patel noted that with Sri Lanka aiming to double tourist arrivals in the next two years, advancing digital travel solutions is critical for enhancing efficiency and passenger experience.
Globally, airlines invested $37 billion and airports $9 billion in IT infrastructure in 2024. By 2027, 75% of industry players are expected to adopt biometric-enabled technologies, with a strong push towards cloud-based, mobile systems.
SITA, which has partnered with BIA since 1968, reported $1.6 billion in revenue for 2024, driven by strong growth in its Airports, Borders and Aircraft businesses.
