Planning your Trip Getting to Sri Lanka
Getting to Sri Lanka
The only international airport in Sri Lanka is Bandaranaike International Airport (airport code CMB; 011-225 2861) at Katunayake. The island nation is well connected by international airlines though there aren't many direct flights from Europe and the US. Among the bigger European carriers, only Lufthansa flies direct to Sri Lanka and most of the airlines connecting Europe and Sri Lanka are from the Middle East and Asia. Some of the airlines that fly Sri Lanka include Austrian Airlines, CathayPacific, Condor Airlines, Emirates, Czech Airlines and Etihad Airways among others.
Sri Lankan airlines flies the only non stop flight from the UK to Sri Lanka from Heathrow that reach Colombo is around eleven hours Though air fares remain constant all round the year, you can get a good deal if you book well in advance. Packages offer the best value options thanks to the low cost airlines.
The journey from the US and Canada takes around 24 hours and involves one or two changes of plane. Tourists from these destinations can fly to London , Paris or Rome, which have nonstop flights to Colombo with various airlines Flights from the US an Canada. Travelling from the West Coast, most of the routes pass through East and South East Asia flying via Singapore, Hong Kong Bangkok and Tokyo, all of which have direct flights to Colombo. Sri Lanka is well connected with most of the South East Asian countries like India and Bangkok that operate direct flights to Colombo.
The airport has 24-hour money-changing facilities in the arrivals and departures halls, bank counters, a few duty-free shops and a cafeteria
Airport clearance
The clearance process is simple and hassle free. You can get disembarkation form from a flight attendant before you land, or from the desks in the immigration area. If you have goods to declare, you need to fill out a customs form before you get into the exit line. Airport taxis are available in plenty.
