Sri Lanka main international airport in the capital Colombo will close four eight hours a day from January 05 to rebuild its runway, Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said.
The airport will be closed from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm daily for three months.
Airlines had already been informed to re-schedule flights, he said. About 185 flights operate from the airport each day.
Sri Lanka has a second international airport in Hambantota in the South of the country.
The runway will be re-built in sections for four hours each day, with another four hours given for the material to harden.
The airport, which opened in 1958 will upgrade its sole runway to meet international standards, de Silva said.
Sri Lanka is also building a second terminal to cater to a sharp increase in traffic after the end of a 30-year civil war in 2009.