Flying to Sri Lanka – YourTrip’s Tips

We often get asked for tips on flying to Sri Lanka from Australia. There are lots of choices available with plenty of stopovers available on the way. At YourTrip we don’t sell airfares as your travel agent or airline are experts in that area, however we thought we would sum up the key ways to get from Australia to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Hopefully this short guide answers some of your questions and helps you visit Sri Lanka a little easier.

Airports in Sri Lanka

There is pretty much only one option where in Sri Lanka you can fly from an international port, and that is the commercial capital of Colombo. While Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport opened in the south east of the country in 2013, it has very few flights and is known as one of the quietest international airport in the world. Mattala airport has one daily direct flight to Dubai, with the inbound journey stopping off in Colombo. There some domestic air services provided by Cinnamon air who’s seaplanes use lakes and lagoons as airstrips in regional centres. So, to get to Sri Lanka you’re most likey going to want a flight to and from Colombo.

Direct Flights

Announced in May 2017, Sri Lankan Airlines will commence direct flights between Melbourne and Colombo from late 2017. This will be the first direct connection between Australia and Sri Lanka since the airlines disbanded routes many years ago. The direct flight will be onboard one of the airline Airbus A330 aircraft with a flight time of 11 hours. We will provide information as more details of this time saving connection are announced. In the meantime, there are plenty of one stop options to get to Colombo.

One Stop Flight Routes

Several airlines with hubs between Australia and Sri Lanka fly multiple daily routes to Colombo from their home ports. These include Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Air Asia X, Thai Airways and Cathay Pacific. Each of these airlines also fly multiple daily flights between various capital cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth and the Gold Coast to either their hubs.

Sri Lanka’s flag carrier, Sri Lankan fly’s services to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta and Hong Kong and offer code share flights on Qantas flights to and from Singapore to many Australian ports. There are literally hundreds of possible ways to get to Sri Lanka depending on which airline you prefer to travel with and where you might want to take a stopover either on the way to your holiday, or on your return.

You might also consider taking a slightly longer route via Dubai or Abu Dhabi with both Emirates and Etihad offering services to Colombo. Emirates also offer a seasonal service from Colombo to Male and Singapore, making a triangle itinerary from either Dubai or Singapore possible options to consider.

Domestic Flights

There some domestic air services provided by Cinnamon air by seaplanes that use lakes and lagoons as airstrips in regional centres. So, to get to Sri Lanka you’re most likely going to want a flight to and from Colombo however there are air options to get around within Sri Lanka if you’re really short on time. Some services run on regular schedules while others operate as a charter service. If you’re in a real hurry (although when on holiday we don’t recommend hurrying), you can charter a helicopter to get you pretty much anywhere within Sri Lanka quite quickly.

Tips for Flying to Sri Lanka

When considering which route you’ll take to Sri Lanka it’s important to consider all options available. The cheapest might appear attractive but might take twice as long as a slightly more expensive fare. Don’t forget that your time is valuable so consider whether a slightly more expensive flight that saves you time offers better value. It also pays to consider where you might want to go on your way home as well as on the way there. Many guests enjoy a relaxing few days (or weeks) in the Maldives on their return, so choosing an airline that serves both destinations is an important consideration.

Our final tip is to join the frequent flyer program of whichever airline you choose to fly as the points you earn might make your next holiday a little closer.

Now you know how to fly to Sri Lanka, you should really see what there is to do when you get there with our Sri Lanka tour programs.