Two major airports in Sri Lanka, including the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo become the first Smart Reading Airports in South Asia, offering free and unlimited digital reading of magazines and newspapers from around the world.

Magzter, the world’s largest digital newsstand, is set to revolutionise the airport passenger experience in Sri Lanka. According to a press statement, Bandaranaike International Airport and Jaffna International Airport have joined hands with Magzter to become the first Smart Reading Airports in South Asia, offering passengers a cutting-edge, fully contactless and paperless digital reading experience of their favourite magazines and newspapers while they are at the airport.

The statement adds that Magzter’s partnership with the Sri Lankan Airport Authority enables passengers to access a diverse collection of over 8,000 leading magazines, newspapers, journals and comics for free while they are in the airport. Passengers can download the Magzter app from the Apple Store or Google Play to get free unlimited reading access within these geo-fenced zones, eliminating the need for a subscription. When they are at the airport, they can open the Magzter app, go to “SRZ” tab, grant location permission for the app and get free unlimited reading access.

The statement adds that since air passengers usually wait for a considerable amount of time at the gate before boarding their flights, they are always on the lookout for interesting ways to spend their wait time productively. This innovative initiative is sure to enhance the passenger experience by providing access to thousands of popular magazines and newspapers spanning over 40 categories, including automotive, business, comics, travel, lifestyle, news and sports.

Passengers can also download their favourite titles while at the airport and access them offline during the flight. While Magzter’s extensive catalogue features several regional Sri Lankan favourites, it also provides an exciting array of content for travellers from key tourist-inflow countries to Sri Lanka, including India, UK, USA, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. 

Some of the best-selling global titles available on Magzter include Time magazine, Newsweek, Car & Driver, India Today, Filmfare, Business Standard, Hello!, T3, The Guardian, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Vogue, GQ, Her World, Forbes and Bangkok Post among others.

By encouraging millions of people to read digitally across the globe, Magzter has so far saved tens of thousands of trees and other natural resources, thereby playing an active role in fostering the ‘Go Green’ initiative. This partnership marks a significant step forward in the digital reading revolution, aligning with Magzter’s commitment to providing a touch-free and eco-friendly reading experience. As Magzter continues to expand its global footprint, the Smart Reading Airport concept is set to redefine the travel experience for millions of passengers around the world.

“When the aviation industry is concerned, there are a lot of new advancements taking place in the world. Digitalisation of airports to provide an enhanced passenger experience is a key factor that we are concerned about. While we focus our attention aggressively on digitalisation processes, enhancing the passenger experience through other possible avenues is always considered by us. I am very much delighted to see that our airports are partnered with global service providers and enable our passengers to experience such smart reading opportunity while they are on the move,” says Nimal Siripala De Silva, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation of Sri Lanka.

“We are very much pleased to introduce smart reading zones at our main gateway, Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in collaboration with Magzter. This will enhance the passenger experience at our airport enabling the travellers to access over 8,000 magazines and newspapers worldwide of their choice. Further, we are launching this service at Jaffna International Airport as well,” says Major General (Retired) G A Chandrasiri, Chairman, Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka).

“We are excited to establish South Asia’s first Smart Reading Airports, setting a new standard for the region. Bandaranaike International Airport and Jaffna International Airport are at the forefront of embracing digital innovation, and we are proud to be their partner in providing an engaging and touch-free reading experience for travellers,” says Girish Ramdas, CEO, Magzter.

“As we continue to expand our Smart Reading Zones globally, we are thrilled to partner with Bandaranaike International Airport and Jaffna International Airport in Sri Lanka. Our goal is to enhance the travel experience by providing passengers with access to a vast array of digital publications, catering to their diverse interests,’’ says Vijay Radhakrishnan, President, Magzter.