Sri Lanka Colombo International Airport. Colombo Bandaranaike Airport online departure board Colombo International Airport

Sri Lanka has two international airports where planes carrying tourists can fly. The first and main airport is most often called Colombo Airport, although it is located 35 km north of Colombo, near the city of Negombo. The second airport of Sri Lanka is located in the south of the island and, accordingly, is of interest to those traveling to the south.

From this article you will learn:

The main airport of Sri Lanka is Bandaranaike Airport

Name of the main airport in Sri Lanka, where the vast majority of aircraft arrive is Bandaranaike International Airport (airport code CMB). Most often it is simply called "Colombo International Airport". Although there is another small airport in Colombo, there is a risk of confusing these two airports. But let's talk about everything in order and first, let's deal with the main airport.

Distance from airport Bandaranaike is 35 km from the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. The journey to the city center takes approximately 45 minutes if you take the toll road. The closest city to the airport is Negombo (~10 km and 20 minutes by taxi).

You can get to a hotel in almost any corner of Sri Lanka on the website or.

Sri Lanka hotels near Colombo airport- on booking.com or agoda.com.

Find cheap flights to Colombo Airport The Aviasales website will help.

Reminder for those flying from Sri Lanka: It is better to arrive at the airport in advance. Before checking in for a flight, you must go through two security checks, which take at least 30 minutes.

24-hour services at Colombo International Airport

Currency exchange in the arrivals hall at Colombo airport

Almost all service departments at Colombo International Airport are 24/7, so 24 hours a day you can:

• obtain a visa on arrival (the procedure for obtaining a visa and the list of required documents is in the article Visa on arrival to Sri Lanka);
• buy alcohol or cigarettes in the duty-free zone in the arrivals area after passport control (customs restrictions on the import of alcohol to Sri Lanka - 1.5 liters per person),
• change money at exchange offices (there are exchange offices in both the arrival and departure halls);
• withdraw cash in local currency (rupees) from ATMs in the arrivals hall;
• buy a SIM card from any of the five mobile operators (in the arrivals hall);
• receive information booklets and a free map of Sri Lanka at the counter of the Ministry of Tourism (located in the arrivals hall to the right of the exchange offices);
• take a taxi to Colombo or to other cities of Sri Lanka in the arrival hall or at the Taxi window on the street (for details of taxis at the airport, read the article How and where is the best place to order a taxi from Colombo airport).

Colombo International Airport (Bandaranaike) on the map:

Official site Sri Lanka Bandaranaike International Airport - http://www.airport.lk

Mattala International Airport in southern Sri Lanka

Name of the second international airport in Sri Lanka- Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport or abbreviated MRIA, code - HRI) or Hambantota Airport. The airport was built on a grand scale, but did not live up to the hopes placed on it and the money spent. Currently only Flydubai and a few domestic airlines fly to this airport.

Distance from airport Mattala Rajapaksa to the coastal city of Hambantota is 26 km (about 30 minutes by taxi), to Colombo 262 km (minimum 4.5 hours by car).

Sri Lanka hotels near the airport Mattala - on booking.com or agoda.com.

Order a transfer (taxi) from the airport You can get to the hotel on the website or.

Find cheap flights to Mattala (Hambantota) Airport The Aviasales website will help.

Official site Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport - http://www.airport.lk/mria

Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport on the map:

When is it more convenient and profitable to fly to Mattala (Hambantota) airport?

• if you are planning a holiday on the southern beaches of Sri Lanka: Tangalla, Weligama, Mirissa, Unawatuna, Hambantota.
• If the air ticket to the airport in Mattala Rajapaksa is cheaper than in Colombo, then it makes sense to use this option for relaxing on the beaches of Koggala and Hikkaduwa. To find cheap plane tickets, use the site

Sri Lanka's main international airport, Bandaranaike, is located 35 km from Colombo. There are several options to get from the airport to Colombo or back - from the city to the airport. Each option has its own pros and cons, and its own price. Some will prefer the economy option of taking a bus, while others will prefer a comfortable taxi ride.

From this article you will learn:

1 | A budget option to get from the airport to Colombo is by bus

During the daytime, the so-called “express bus” number 187-E3 runs between the airport and the Colombo central bus station.

Airport - Colombo Express Bus Schedule: every 30 minutes, from 5:30 am to 20:30 pm (times are approximate, as there is no clear schedule). The last bus from the airport leaves at approximately 20:30; I took the last bus from Colombo towards the airport at 18:00.

Express bus from Colombo to airport

Bus fare- 120 rupees (~$0.85).

Duration of the bus ride- 1 hour. But if the bus is not full, the driver may make several stops to pick up passengers. My personal experience of traveling on this bus showed that the road from Colombo to the airport can take up to 2.5 hours (and it’s good that I was not late for the plane).

Comfort level on the Airport - Colombo bus: all the way, heart-warming clips are shown on TV, the air conditioning is on maximum (take something to wear so as not to freeze). While the bus was at the station, sellers of traditional delicacies walked around the cabin.

How to find the Airport - Colombo bus stop:

• At the airport, the bus stop is located 50 meters to the left of the arrivals area. You need to leave the arrivals area and walk along the building to the left. From the corner of the building you should already be able to see buses parked slightly ahead and to the right (the coordinates of the bus stop on the map are 7.174812, 79.888673).
• from Colombo the bus departs from the central bus station in the Pettah area (Colombo Central Bus Stand), which is located near the Colombo fort railway station (bus station coordinates on the map - 6.934858, 79.854641).

Things to know before your trip by bus from the airport to Colombo or back: A government bus with the inscription SLTB (Sri Lankan Transport Board) on the windshield operates only during the day. At night, you can get from the airport to Colombo by private buses or minibuses numbered 187 or 187-E3, which are usually parked at the airport a little further than the state bus. If you are traveling from Colombo to the airport, private buses can be found opposite the central bus station at Bastian Mawatha Bus station.

2 | Taxi at the airport (upon arrival)

Where to get a taxi at the airport: There is a taxi counter in the arrivals hall with official fixed prices for taxis to Colombo and other cities in Sri Lanka. If there is a line at the counter, feel free to go outside. There is another window for ordering a taxi (their prices are exactly the same).

Taxi counter at Colombo International Airport

Personal experience showed that the taxi car may be very shabby. It’s hard to call it comfortable to drive on low, loose seats without headrests, in a car that is long overdue for a wash and a bunch of stinking trash thrown out.

Taxi fare depends on where exactly you need to go in Colombo. The trip "Airport - Colombo Fort" costs 2650 rupees (~$18). An additional fee for travel on the expressway is 300 rupees (~$2).

3 | Individual transfer from the airport to the hotel

A transfer (pre-booked taxi from the airport to the hotel) will cost only a little more than a classic taxi at the airport. However, the transfer has several significant advantages:

• you choose and order a car of a certain brand and size in accordance with your preferences;
• you are met at the airport with a sign and helped with your luggage - there is no need to look for a taxi stand or stand in line waiting for a car;
• the driver thinks through the route in advance and knows which hotel to take you to, and does not ask passers-by how to get there (I personally encountered this).

Transfer cost from Bandaranaike Airport to a hotel in Colombo: from $21 per car.

You can book a comfortable taxi from the airport to your hotel on the website.

4 | From the airport to Colombo by train

You can also travel from Bandaranaike Airport to Colombo by train. But this is not the easiest way, since there are a number of nuances.

The nearest train station is 3 km from the airport. Therefore, you still need to get there or get there. To get to the station, the cheapest way is to use a tuk-tuk. But since tuk-tuks are prohibited from entering the airport, you yourself need to go out to them. A 3 km tuk-tuk ride to Katunayake Railway Station will cost 150 - 300 rupees (you need to negotiate the price before getting into the tuk-tuk and be sure to bargain).

There are about 10 trains heading towards Colombo during the day (the first one at 7 am and the last one at 8 pm). The train fare is 30 rupees (~$0.20). The train will take you to Colombo Fort Central Station. Then you will still need to somehow get to your hotel.

5 | What is the best transport to get from the airport to Colombo?

If you are traveling lightly, are not in a hurry, and prefer to save money, you can take a bus. This way you will immediately immerse yourself in the local flavor and appreciate

The island state of Sri Lanka (in old Ceylon) has only three air ports, two of which are international. These are Bandaranaike and Mattala Rajapaksa airports. The third airport terminal, Colombo Ratmalana, serves domestic flights. Currently, there are no direct flights from Moscow to Sri Lanka (except for charters); many tourists fly through the UAE, making a transfer to Dubai, as well as through Doha (Qatar), Turkey, etc.

Historical reference

The first airport on the island of Sri Lanka appeared in 1935, when the island belonged to the British crown and was called Ceylon. It was named Ratmalana after the name of a nearby settlement.

In 1940, Great Britain established an airfield near the capital Colombo. After the British lost their airfields in India and Nepal, it was used as a military air base during the Second World War. Later, in the 1980s, Colombo Bandaranaike Airport, as a result of large-scale modernization, restructuring and expansion, acquired the status of the main international air port of Sri Lanka.

4 years ago, in 2013, construction was completed and another international airport began operations - Mattala Rajapaksa, which is located in the south of the country, near Hambantota. It was built with the aim of establishing air traffic in the south of the country.

All Sri Lanka airports are located on the map of the island as follows:

• on the west coast - Colombo Bandaranaike and Colombo Ratmalana airports,
• and in the south - Mattala Rajapaksa.

Currently, the issue of organizing an international airport in the north of Sri Lanka near the city of Jaffna is being considered. This is due to the annually growing flow of tourists heading on holiday to Sri Lanka.

Basic information and contacts

Sri Lanka Bandaranaike International Airport is the main airport of the island and one of the busiest airports in South Asia - its passenger traffic exceeds 7 million people per year.

1. Name: Bandaranaike International Airport, second name – Katunayake International Airport, usually called Colombo Bandaranaike Airport;
2. Location: near the city of Negombo, 35 km from the capital Colombo;

• IATA – CMB;
• ICAO – VCBI;

1. Contact details:

• postal address: Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, Sri Lanka;
• Director's reception (tel./fax): +94 11 225 26 66, +94 11 225 94 35;
• Help Desk: +94 11 225 28 61;
• Email - [email protected].

1. Official website – www.airport.lk;
2. Opening hours: 24 hours a day.

On the official website of the airport you can find all the information a passenger needs, as well as an online scoreboard. The site version is in English. You can view it in the Flight Info section by clicking on Flight status and selecting Arrivals or Departures. Navigating the site is not difficult even for a user with minimal knowledge of English.

Important! Information in the online scoreboard, posted in Russian on Russian information portals, is sometimes displayed with a time delay.

Services at Colombo Bandaranaike Airport

The airport has 3 passenger terminals. The largest and first terminal was put into operation in 1967. It has an arrival and departure area, and 12 boarding gates. All international flights depart from here. The infrastructure is presented:

• 2 recreation areas;
• duty free shops;
• tea shops;
• cafes and restaurants;
• mother and child room;
• currency exchange;
• free wifi.

The second terminal is planned to be put into operation in 2017, although de facto it has been operating since the end of 2016 in test mode. There will be 8 gates and 14 modern telescopic gangways.

The third terminal has been operating since 2012 and serves flights throughout the country.

The Serenediva Colombo Hotel is located in the airport's transit area, where temporary guests will be surrounded by Asian hospitality and care. For accurate information, please contact the airport information desk.

Currently, the airport is the main base of the following Sri Lankan air carriers:

• SriLankan Airlines;
• Mihin Lanka;
• Lankan Cargo.

The airport also serves many major world airlines, such as:

• Emirates;
• Korean Airlines;
• Qatar Airlines;
• FlyDubai;
• Oman Air;
• Air Asia and many others.

Sri Lanka's new international airport began operations recently, in 2013, with the goal of decongesting the Colombo airport and bringing tourists closer to popular southern resorts.

1. Name: Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, second name – Hambantota International Airport;
2. Location: 26 km north of the city of Hambantota;
3. Coding according to IATA (International Air Transport Association) and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Association):

• IATA – HRI;
• ICAO - VCRI.

1. Contact details:

• Postal Address: Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, P.O. Box 67654, Hambantota, Sri Lanka;
• Director's reception (tel./fax): +94 47 203 1100, + 94 47 203 1133;
• Help Desk: +94 72 031 000;
• Email - [email protected] ;

1. Official website – http://www.airport.lk/mria;
2. Opening hours: 24 hours a day.

The site interface is similar to the site of Colombo Bandaranaike Airport, because... is one of its sections.

Colombo Ramatlana Airport

The oldest airport in the country today serves domestic flights and air cargo.

1. Name – Colombo Ratmalana Airport;
2. Location – suburb of Colombo;
3. Coding according to IATA (International Air Transport Association) and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Association):

• IATA – RML;
• ICAO - VCCC.

Additional Information. A special feature of Sri Lanka airports is that they all have IATA and ICAO codes, even if they have not received international status.

Transport connection

There are different ways to get from the airport to the city or anywhere in Sri Lanka.

Air Taxi

Bus

The most inexpensive way to get out of the airport is the free shuttle that runs between the airport and the city of Katunayaka. You need to take the bus marked Katunayake – Airport. He goes to the city bus station, from where he can go to almost any locality in the country.

You can also leave Bandaranaike Airport for Colombo by express number 187 on the route Colombo - Katunayake. The fare costs 120 Sri Lankan rupees (about $1), and you do not have to pay for luggage. It will take about an hour to drive, it all depends on traffic jams. The express runs on schedule, the first one departs from Bandaranaike at 5-30 in the morning, and the last one at 9-00 in the evening. The last bus from the city to the airport leaves at 8:30 in the evening. The final destination of the route is the central bus station, next to the Colombo Fort railway station. The waiting time for the bus will be from 15 to 30 minutes.

A minibus with the same number runs on a similar route around the clock, the fare is also 120 Sri Lankan rupees, luggage is free. The drive takes 1-1.5 hours, because... it stops at all stops. The end of the route is Colombo railway station.

Important! Very often there are no information signs on buses. Before boarding the bus, ask the driver which route he will take.

Taxi

As elsewhere, the most convenient and fastest way to get from the airport to the city is still a taxi. Taxi drivers stop near the exit from the arrivals hall. Taxi service cost:

• on a regular car – 1,500 Sri Lankan rupees ($10);
• minivan per group – 2000 Sri Lankan rupees ($14);
• tuk-tuk – 1000 Sri Lankan rupees ($7).

The trip will take about an hour, depending on how busy the route is.

Additional Information. If you want to get to the beaches of the Negombo resort, a taxi will cost 1300-1500 rupees ($9-10).

Transfer from/to the airport

If you worry in advance, you can order a meeting at the airport and transfer to the desired location. This can be done on any internet taxi service. The trip will cost $23-40.

Some hotels offer free transfers from/to the airport for their guests, mostly high-level resort hotels.

Car rent

At the airport in the arrivals area there are mini-offices of all the leaders in the car rental market, such as:

• Herz;
• AVIS;
• Budget;
• Europcar;
• Casons;
• RCSL;
• SR Rent A Car.

The cost per day of rental starts from $40, the price depends on the class of the car and additional options.

Airport parking

There are 3 open parking lots at the airport, located near the terminals.

1. Terminal Car Park – located in front of the first terminal and has a capacity of 400 cars. Parking costs are:

• passenger cars – 200 Sri Lankan rupees per hour;
• minivans and minibuses – 250 Sri Lankan rupees per hour.

1. Remote Car Park – located 300 m from the terminal, prices are lower here:

1. New Car Park – also a short walk from the terminal, price:

• motorcycle – 50 Sri Lankan rupees per hour;
• passenger car – 100 Sri Lankan rupees per hour;
• minivans and minibuses – 200 Sri Lankan rupees per hour.

Additional Information. Conditions for longer parking must be obtained on site from the parking administration.

Due to the increasing importance of Sri Lanka as a world-class resort, the government plans to further develop air services on the island. The launch of the new terminal in 2017 will increase the airport's capacity to 15 million people per year.

Video

The latitude at which the airport is located: 7.180000000000, in turn, the longitude of the airport corresponds to: 79.880000000000. Geographic coordinates of latitude and longitude determine the location of the airport on the earth's surface. To completely determine the position of the airport in three-dimensional space, a third coordinate is also needed - height. The height of the airport above sea level is 9 meters. The airport is located in the time zone: +5.5 GMT. Airplane tickets always indicate the local time of departure and arrival of the airport according to time zones.

Online arrivals and departures boards at Bandaranayake Airport (CMB).

The most up-to-date information about flight times and possible delays is usually located on the online arrivals board and online departure board of the official website of Bandaranayake Airport (CMB): . Also on the official website of the CMB airport you can usually find information about the route to the airport, information about parking on the territory, a map of the airport itself, information about services, rules and other reference information for passengers.

The official name of Colombo Airport (CMB) is Bandaranaike International Airport. In English it is Bandaranaike International Airport. Today Bandaranaike is the most important airport in Sri Lanka, receiving almost 42 thousand flights a year and almost 5 million passengers. In addition, Colombo Airport handles over 170,000 tonnes of cargo annually.
The current operator of Sri Lanka's main airport is Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd. Colombo Airport was built during World War II and served as a Royal Air Force base. It is still used for military purposes, but today the airport is used primarily for civil aviation. Colombo Bandaranaike Airport is very important for Sri Lanka. Currently, the airport has 4 gates with 39 check-in counters and 3 cargo terminals. It serves 25 airlines, including well-known airlines such as Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, as well as major Asian airlines Indian Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines and Emirates.
Although Colombo Airport does not fully meet international standards, it has received numerous awards from various airlines and magazines.

Colombo Airport on the map of Sri Lanka

Despite the fact that the airport is classified as Colombo, it is actually located quite far from this city, about 35 km north of the capital of Sri Lanka. The city of Negombo is much closer to Bandaranaike Airport, but in general this airport is located on the territory of the village of Katunayak.

Online scoreboard of Colombo airport

How to get from Bandaranaike Airport to Colombo

To get from Bandaranaike Airport to Colombo city, you can take a taxi or bus. You can also rent a car, but this is not as easy to do in Sri Lanka as in many other countries in the world.
The cost of a taxi from Bandaranaike Airport to the capital of Sri Lanka is about 3,000 rupees. If you want to take the expressway, there is usually an additional charge of 300 rupees. Taxi cars are waiting for passengers at any time of the day, but you can always order a taxi in advance on the Kiwi-Taxi website.

Bus airport - Colombo

If you do not want to spend a lot of money on a trip from Colombo airport to the capital of Sri Lanka, you can take a bus.
Buses from the airport to Colombo run every half hour from 05:30 to 18:30, and a one-way trip costs only 130 rupees. The journey to Colombo Main Bus Station takes approximately 45 minutes. You need to take Express Bus 187. This bus travels from Colombo International Airport on the new expressway, which saves a lot of time.
After 18:30, some private air-conditioned 187 buses may be waiting for tourists near the airport, but they operate at their own discretion. That is, it depends on your luck.
The bus goes to the main bus station in Colombo, where you can change buses and get to your desired location in Sri Lanka. There is also a train station nearby, from where you can travel by train.

Services and facilities at Colombo Airport

Like any international airport, Bandaranaike Airport offers travelers various options to satisfy their hunger or thirst. Sri Lankan Airlines even has its own restaurant in the departure hall with delicious cuisine. It serves national and international cuisine. The Sri Lankan Airlines restaurant offers hot and cold drinks. Of course, there are other restaurants and cafes.
Six banks offer passengers the opportunity to exchange currency at Colombo Airport. All exchange offices can be found in the arrivals hall. So you will not have problems exchanging currency before further traveling around the island. Although the exchange rate at the exchange offices at Colombo Airport is not the most favorable, it is still noticeably more favorable than in most hotels in Sri Lanka.
Bandaranaike Airport in Sri Lanka has a variety of shops to help you pass the time and buy something interesting. For example, here you can buy local souvenirs, handmade fabrics and other goods. Duty-free shops also welcome guests and offer a variety of electronic products, liquor, jewelry and perfumes.
If you decide to go on holiday with children, Colombo Airport will provide special facilities for young guests. Here children can play or watch cartoons.
A medical center can be found in the Colombo Airport arrivals hall. In addition to trained nurses and emergency physicians, the medical center also provides rapid transportation to the hospital in the event of an emergency.

History of Colombo Airport

Finally, I would like to tell you briefly about the history of the main airport of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's civil aviation industry was born in the 1930s with the construction of the Ratmalana airfield. Bandaranaike Airport was built by the British in the mid-1940s primarily as an air force base and supply center for World War II aircraft. With assistance from the Government of Canada, the airport was upgraded to handle 150,000 passengers per year in 1968. In 1981, with the assistance of the Dutch government, the Airport Master Plan was developed. The Japanese government assisted in the further development of the airport with all the necessary facilities to ensure an annual passenger turnover of 3.5 million people. Colombo Airport reached such a passenger turnover in 1988. The Japanese government also helped expand the airport and create a modern terminal building with 8 contact gates and 14 check-in stands. The project was completed in 2005 and gave the airport the capacity to handle 6 million passengers per year.
Following the end of the internal conflict in Sri Lanka, which had hampered economic growth for about 30 years, the Sri Lankan economy began to grow in many aspects in 2009. Profit from foreign tourists in 2010 increased by almost 50 percent compared to 2009. In response to increased demand, a new airport terminal was designed to serve an additional 9 million passengers per year. With this expansion, the airport's capacity was increased to 15 million passengers per year.