45 airlines fly passenger services between Sri Lanka and the rest of the world, from the national carrier SriLankan Airlines to Gulf, Asian, European and Russian airlines and seasonal holiday charters. Nearly all of them use Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) at Katunayake, north of Colombo; a handful of winter charters fly to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) in the south, and IndiGo flies to Jaffna from Chennai. The tables below list every airline, where it flies from, and whether it has an office in Sri Lanka. Click an airline for its routes and office contacts.
Airlines with Year-Round Flights to Sri Lanka
| Airline | Code | Country | Flies to Colombo from | Office in Sri Lanka |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Arabia | G9 | United Arab Emirates | Sharjah | Colombo 02 |
| Air Arabia Abu Dhabi | 3L | United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi | – |
| Air China | CA | China | Chengdu Tianfu | Colombo 02 |
| Air India | AI | India | Delhi, Mumbai | Colombo 03 |
| Air Seychelles | HM | Seychelles | Mahé | – |
| AirAsia | AK | Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | – |
| Batik Air Malaysia | OD | Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | Colombo 02 |
| Beijing Capital Airlines | JD | China | Beijing Daxing | – |
| Cathay Pacific | CX | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Colombo 07 |
| China Eastern Airlines | MU | China | Kunming, Shanghai Pudong | Colombo 02 |
| Chongqing Airlines | OQ | China | Chongqing, Malé | – |
| Emirates | EK | United Arab Emirates | Dubai, Malé | Katunayake |
| Etihad Airways | EY | United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi | Katunayake |
| FitsAir | 8D | Sri Lanka | Ahmedabad, Dhaka, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, Malé | – |
| flydubai | FZ | United Arab Emirates | Dubai, Malé | Colombo 02 |
| Gulf Air | GF | Bahrain | Bahrain, Malé | Colombo 01 |
| IndiGo | 6E | India | Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai (to Jaffna) | – |
| Jazeera Airways | J9 | Kuwait | Kuwait City | Katunayake |
| Jetstar | JQ | Australia | Melbourne | – |
| Kuwait Airways | KU | Kuwait | Kuwait City | Colombo 10 |
| Malaysia Airlines | MH | Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | Colombo 01 |
| Qatar Airways | QR | Qatar | Doha | Colombo 01 |
| SalamAir | OV | Oman | Muscat | – |
| Singapore Airlines | SQ | Singapore | Singapore | Colombo 02 |
| SriLankan Airlines | UL | Sri Lanka | 33 destinations, including Chennai, Delhi, Doha, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Melbourne (full list) | Katunayake |
| Thai AirAsia | FD | Thailand | Bangkok Don Mueang | – |
| Thai Airways | TG | Thailand | Bangkok Suvarnabhumi | – |
| Turkish Airlines | TK | Türkiye | Istanbul | Colombo 07 |
| VietJet Air | VJ | Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh City, Malé starting soon | – |
| Vietnam Airlines | VN | Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh City | – |
Seasonal, Charter and New Airlines
These airlines fly to Sri Lanka only in part of the year, mostly in the northern winter when the west and south coasts are at their best, or are about to start flying. Several are holiday charters sold through tour operators rather than directly.
| Airline | Code | Country | Flies from | Sri Lanka airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aeroflot | SU | Russia | Moscow Sheremetyevo winter season | CMB |
| Air Astana | KC | Kazakhstan | Almaty winter season | CMB |
| Azur Air | ZF | Russia | Kazan seasonal charter; begins 4 November 2026, Ufa seasonal charter; begins 10 November 2026, Yekaterinburg seasonal charter; begins 7 November 2026 | HRI |
| Belavia | B2 | Belarus | Minsk seasonal charter; resumes 27 October 2026 | HRI |
| British Airways | BA | United Kingdom | London Gatwick winter season; resumes 23 October 2026 | CMB |
| Bulgaria Air | FB | Bulgaria | Sofia seasonal charter | HRI |
| Centrum Air | C6 | Uzbekistan | Tashkent seasonal; resumes 28 October 2026 | HRI |
| Edelweiss Air | WK | Switzerland | Zurich winter season | CMB |
| Enter Air | E4 | Poland | Katowice seasonal charter | CMB |
| French Bee | BF | France | Paris Orly seasonal; begins 19 December 2026, Malé seasonal; begins 19 December 2026 | CMB |
| Red Wings Airlines | WZ | Russia | Mineralnye Vody seasonal charter, Samara seasonal charter, Tyumen seasonal charter | HRI |
| S7 Airlines | S7 | Russia | Novosibirsk begins 20 December 2026 | CMB |
| SCAT Airlines | DV | Kazakhstan | Almaty seasonal charter | HRI |
| Smartwings Poland | – | Poland | Warsaw Chopin seasonal charter, Muscat seasonal charter | CMB |
| Uzbekistan Airways | HY | Uzbekistan | Tashkent seasonal charter | HRI |
Domestic Flights within Sri Lanka
Cinnamon Air flies small aircraft and seaplanes from Bandaranaike International Airport to regional airstrips and lakes at Batticaloa, Castlereagh Reservoir, Weerawila, Koggala, Sigiriya and Trincomalee, turning a long road journey into a short flight. For groups or one-off trips, see airplane charters.
Sri Lanka's International Airports
- Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), Katunayake: the main gateway, about 35 km north of Colombo and 15 to 20 minutes from Negombo. Home base of SriLankan Airlines and FitsAir.
- Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), Mattala: in the south near Hambantota, used mainly by winter charters from Russia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
- Jaffna International Airport (JAF), Palaly: in the far north, with flights to Chennai in India.
Tips for Booking Flights to Sri Lanka
- Peak season fills early. December to March is the main season on the west and south coasts, and flights around Christmas and New Year sell out first.
- Gulf hubs are the usual one-stop route from Europe, Africa and the Americas: Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Muscat and Istanbul all have daily or near-daily flights to Colombo.
- Get your ETA before you fly. Most nationalities need an Electronic Travel Authorization; see our Sri Lanka visa guide.
- Book your arrival transfer. Lakpura arranges airport transfers from every Sri Lankan airport, with the driver tracking your landing time.
Routes are as published in October 2026 and change with the seasons. Office details come from public airline office listings; call ahead before visiting.
