A relaxation of rules has recently seen the airport open for international corporate jet operations and charter flights.

The long-term strategic goal of RMA is to bring the airport to the optimum operational capacity by maximum utilization of existing resources.

In 1934, the State Council of Ceylon made a decision to construct an aerodrome within reach of the capital city of Colombo and decided on Ratmalana as the best site.

During the Second World War, it was used as a Royal Air Force airfield, with No 30 Squadron flying Hawker Hurricanes from there against Japanese Navy aircraft.

QEA (Quantas Empire Airways Limited) flew civilianised Consolidated B-24 Liberator and Avro Lancastrian aeroplanes there from Perth, Western Australia, on what was at the time the world's longest non-stop air route.

Improvements to the existing terminal building, repair to the runway, taxiway and apron, reconfiguration to the aerodrome for the use of corporate jet traffic would also be done as a short-term development project.