Sri Lanka is an isolated island nation, and the most convenient way to get there is by taking a flight. Sri Lanka has a busy international airport in the capital Colombo, known as Bandaranaike International Airport, which has flights to and from major countries of the world.
Sri Lanka's International Airports
Major International Airport
Sri Lanka AirportLights at a Diwali market in JaipurOn paper, Sri Lanka has five international airports, but in practice, almost all airlines fly into Bandaranaike International Airport. It is the main airport terminal serving Sri Lanka, about 30 km (20 miles) north of Colombo, and is commonly known as Colombo International Airport (IATA: CMB, ICAO: VCBI). There are many taxis and commercial buses that connect the airport to the city. The trip to the city center will take you about 45 to 60 minutes by car.
Bandaranaike International Airport has non-stop passenger flights scheduled to 53 destinations in 25 countries. Most flights are operated by one of the following carriers: SriLankan Airlines (UL), Air India (AI), China Eastern (MU), Cinnamon Air (C7), Vistara (UK), IndiGo Airlines (6E), Saudia (SV), Korean Air (KE), and China Southern (CZ).
Other Airports That Are Less Used
Ratmalana International Airport was the first international airport in Sri Lanka. It is located 15 km (9 miles) south of Colombo city. This airport mainly serves private international flights and low-cost airlines (normally one scheduled flight a day).
Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport is located in the town of Mattala, 18 km (11 miles) from Hambantota. Due to the low number of flights, it has been called "The World"s Emptiest International Airport," and now it's proposed that it will offer long-term aircraft parking services as well as flying schools and maintenance services.
Batticaloa International Airport is a military airbase known as Sri Lanka Air Force Batticaloa or SLAF Batticaloa. The airport is located in Puthunagar village, on Thimilathiu Island, 2 km (1 mile) south-west of the city of Batticaloa. This airport is expected to be ready for international flights by January 2020.
Jaffna International Airport is located in the town of Palaly near Kankesanthurai, 13 km (8 miles) north of the city of Jaffna. It is also a military airbase known as Sri Lanka Air Force Palaly or SLAF Palaly. In early October 2019, the airport was made a regional airport, and was renamed Jaffna International Airport. This airport has flights to some cities in India, such as Mumbai and Chennai. Flights to the Maldives have also been proposed.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
|
|
Sirin is the BEST!
My recent trip to Chiang Mai was nothing short of magical, and our tour guide played a huge part in making it so memorable. From the moment we met, Sirin welcomed us with warm hospitality and an infectious passion for sharing the beauty, history, and culture of northern Thailand. More
Jenny Tse, Oct 2024
|
Excellent Trip Planning by Alisa Liu at Asia Highlights
Alisa did a wonderful job! She was very detail oriented, extremely responsive and answered my questions very promptly. She incorporated all of the places we wanted to visit and was able to book hotels, airline tickets and special event tickets (to the Chiang Mai CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival which was sold out when I tried booking on my own.) Alisa was great to work with and I recommend that others use her for their trip planning. More
Effie, Sep 2024
|
Excellent experience in Bangkok
Ying was our guide in Bangkok. She was very knowledgeable and extremely helpful. She knew exactly how to move us through crowds quickly so that we could see all we wanted to say and made good recommendations for other things we were interested in. I would not hesitate to recommend Ying or anyone that helped us at Asia highlights More
Dr. Meshagae Hunte-Brown, Aug 2024
|
Getting in from Different Districts Across the World
Flying from North America
| Destination | Non-stop / Need Transit | Flight Time | Recommended Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | No direct flights; fly via London in the UK | 11 hours and 50 minutes | SriLankan Airlines |
| North America | Fly via Guangzhou / Shanghai / Hong Kong in China | 5–7 hours | Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong; China Southern Airlines via Guangzhou / Shanghai |
| North America | Fly via Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Singapore, and Bangkok in Thailand | 3.5–4 hours | Malaysia Airlines via Kuala Lumpur; Singapore Airlines via Singapore, Thai Airways via Bangkok |
Asia Highlights tips: If you are traveling from North America, you"re going halfway around the world. From the west coast, the best transfer stop is one of the Asian countries (China, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand). From the east coast, the best transfer stop is one of the Middle Eastern countries (Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Oman) or India.
Flying from Europe
| Destination | Non-stop / Need Transit | Flight Time | Recommended Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | Year-round direct flights from London in the UK | 11 hours and 50 minutes | SriLankan Airlines |
| Europe | Year-round direct flights from Moscow in Russia | 8hours | Aeroflot |
| Europe | Seasonal direct flights from Zürich in Switzerland | 10 hours | Edelweiss Air |
Asia Highlights tips: If you are traveling from Europe, SriLankan Airlines is the best option, as it offers non-stop flights from London to Colombo. Connecting through a carrier such as Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines is common. Scheduled fares from London to Colombo start at around 500 EUR return year-round.
Flying from Australia / New Zealand
| Destination | Non-stop / Need Transit | Flight Time | Recommended Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia / New Zealand | Year-round direct flights from Melbourne in Australia | 10 hours and 45 minutes | SriLankan Airlines |
Asia Highlights tips: In addition to direct flight options from Melbourne, there are also a few one-stop options from New Zealand via Melbourne, Singapore, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur. The most regular services are with Qantas and their budget subsidiary, Jetstar, which operates flights to Singapore (from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane) and Bangkok (from Sydney and Melbourne), from where there are direct connections to Colombo. Scheduled fares from Melbourne to Colombo start at around AUD 1000 return year-round.
Flying from Asia
| Destination | Non-stop / Need Transit | Flight Time | Recommended Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | Year-round direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Tiruchirappalli in India | 1–3.5 hours | SriLankan Airlines / Air India |
| Asia | Year-round direct flights from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou in China | 5–7 hours | Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong; China Southern Airlines via Guangzhou / Shanghai |
| Asia | Year-round direct flights from the Maldives in Malé | 1 hour | SriLankan Airlines / China Southern Airlines / Emirates |
| Asia | Year-round direct flights from Jakarta in Indonesia | 4 hours and 35 minutes | SriLankan Airlines |
| Asia | Year-round direct flights from Singapore | Approximately 4 hours | SriLankan Airlines / SilkAir / Singapore Airlines |
| Asia | Year-round direct flights from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia | 3 hours and 35 minutes | SriLankan Airlines / Malaysia Airlines |
| Asia | Year-round direct flights from Bangkok in Thailand | 3 hours and 25 minutes | SriLankan Airlines / Thai Airways |
Asia Highlights tips: Sri Lanka is well served by major Asian carriers, including budget airlines like Air Asia. Service by SriLankan Airlines is competitive with several carriers. Many visitors combine a visit to Sri Lanka with the Maldives.
Flying from the Middle East
| Destination | Non-stop / Need Transit | Flight Time | Recommended Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle East | Year-round direct flights from Kuwait City, Muscat, Doha, and Dubai | 4–5.5 hours | All SriLankan Airlines, Kuwait Airways via Kuwait, Oman Air via Muscat, and Qatar Airways via Doha |
Asia Highlights tips: Normally, the best way is to fly via Doha or Dubai, as these flights offer more options at a better price, nice flight service, and a comfortable seat. Scheduled fares from Dubai to Colombo start at around US$ 400 return year-round.
On Arrival
AirportYou can then stroll through the duty-free shopping area and descend the escalator to the baggage claim area to retrieve your luggage. You can also shop in the duty-free shopping area before going through customs. Walk into the arrivals hall and you"ll find currency exchange, travel, hotel, and telecommunications services. Local sim cards are available at the airport, and cost approximately LKR 1300 for 5 GB of data and LKR 300 worth of talktime.
Other Information
Travel to Sri Lanka by ferry: Though Sri Lanka is not reachable by train or road, there used to be ferry services from India to Sri Lanka in 2010–2011. Now, Sri Lanka is pushing for resuming ferry services with India. Once operational, it will help tourists from both sides to travel at a very low cost.
Travel to Sri Lanka by cruise: Several cruise operators, such as Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, and Costa Cruises, offer itineraries that include Sri Lanka, with most docking at Colombo.
Visit Sri Lanka with Asia Highlights
Want to explore the ancient ruins and beautiful culture of Sri Lanka? At Asia Highlights we can plan your dream Sri Lanka trip complete with a tailor-made itinerary, private guide, and 24-hour customer service.
Get Inspired with Some Popular Itineraries
At Asia Highlights, we create your kind of journey — your dates, your destinations, at your pace. You can have any trip tailor made for your travel.
