SLAGS completes 40 years in BIA ground handling operations

SLAGS handles operations at BIA and MIA

Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

Malinda Perera

Deepal Pallegangoda

By Shannine Daniel

Operating at both Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MIA), SriLankan Airport and Ground Services (SLAGS) is the country’s sole airport ground services provider. 

SLAGS functions as the backbone of ground operations for SriLankan Airlines as well as international full-service, low-cost and charter carriers.

Monthly, it handles more than 5,000 aircraft movements and 500,00 pieces of baggage each month, highlighting the scale of operations that support Sri Lanka’s recovering aviation and tourism sectors.

While airlines remain the public face of aviation, according to SriLankan Airlines Duty Manager Malinda Perera, ground handlers are responsible for critical behind-the-scenes functions. 

These include, and are not limited to, passenger check-in and boarding, aircraft pushback, baggage and cargo loading, load control, and weight and balance calculations.

“The largest division at SriLankan Airlinesis SLAGS, with around 2500 staff members,” saidAirport and Ground Services Head Deepal Pallegangoda, adding that SLAGS has handled airport and ground services for BIA for more than 40 years.

With an average of 5,200 flights handled monthly at Colombo alone, SLAGS’ operational scale reflects the steady rebound in air traffic following the Covid  pandemic, the economic crisis years and the recent Ditwah Cyclone.

The company is certified under the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) and operates in compliance with ICAO, IATA and domestic regulatory standards. 

According to SLAGS, maintaining uninterrupted ground operations during periods of peak congestion, irregular flight disruptions and adverse weather has been critical to preserving Sri Lanka’s reputation as a reliable aviation gateway in South Asia.

Beyond operational performance, SLAGS has also quietly evolved into a significant training ground for aviation professionals.Recruitment drives for entry-level airport roles routinely attract over 15,000 applicants, Perera told Mirror Business exclusively.

Over the past decade, experienced SLAGS personnel have increasingly transitioned to overseas roles. Recruitment teams from Middle Eastern carriers and ground handling operators—mainly from Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait—frequently visit Colombo to source trained staff. 

The migration trend has also widened beyond the Middle East. Aviation professionals who began their careers at Colombo’s airport are now employed across Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States—often moving seamlessly into airport roles abroad due to internationally aligned operational standards.

As the country’s only ground handling arm, SLAGS play a strategic role in coordinating with airport authorities, regulators and service providers to ensure continuity of operations, particularly during high-traffic seasons and operational disruptions.

According to Pallegangoda, SLAGS plans to improve its capacity to handle an increasing number of tourists who visit Sri Lanka annually, not by expanding BIA’s infrastructure, but by making its workforce more efficient.