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 arrival 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 search for cheap plane tickets, use the Aviasales website.
- if you are planning a trip to such sights of Sri Lanka as the holy city of Kataragama and the Yala Nature Reserve. Getting there from Mattala airport is much faster than from Colombo. For example, you can get to Yala in 2 hours (the road from Colombo will take at least 5 hours)
How not to confuse Colombo airports
At the beginning of the article, I wrote that there is a small airport in Colombo - Ratmalana. This airport also has international status, but at the moment only domestic flights, small charter and cargo planes fly from Ratmalana Airport.
The airport is located in Colombo, in the popular tourist area of Lavinia.
Colombo Airport: how to get to the airport, official website, telephone numbers, flights, taxi to the airport, service and services of Colombo Airport.
Colombo Bandaranaike Airport is the main airport and the only international airport of the island of Sri Lanka, located 35 km from the capital. It was named after the former Prime Minister of Ceylon (the old name of the island of Sri Lanka) and currently serves about 7 million passengers a year.
Initially, units of British military pilots were based at this airfield, but in 1983 the air hub was reconstructed into a civilian one. Today, flights depart from here to Europe, the Middle and Far East, India and Southeast Asia.
Colombo airport terminals
There is only one terminal at the airport, which serves both international and domestic flights. A second terminal is planned to open in 2017.
How to get to the airport
By bus
Regular bus No. 187 runs between the airport and the Averywat central bus station from 5:30 to 21:00. The bus stop is located at the exit from the arrivals area in the southern part of the parking lot. The trip will take from 30 minutes to an hour depending on traffic jams. The interval is 15-30 minutes, the fare is 120 LKR. There is bus number 240 to the train station, the trip will cost 50 LKR. Prices on the page are for October 2018.
By train
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.
Airport bus - 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 different 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.
Sri Lanka is a popular destination for domestic tourists. It is more convenient to get to the island by plane. As well as moving along it over long distances. International airports are the gateway and face of the country. More details about their work: location, customs clearance, reviews.
Airports on the map
Sri Lanka has 3 airports that have international status. These include:
- Bandaranaike- in Colombo.
- Ratmalana- south of Colombo. The airport has international status, but regular international passenger flights to the airport does not accept. It is used for domestic flights, as well as for charter flights and cargo transportation.
- Mattala Rajapaksa- in Hambantota.
Airports for domestic flights:
- Kogalla.
- Ampara.
- China Bay.
- Vavuniya.
- Jaffna.
There are also other airports, much smaller. Domestic flights operate in charter format called air taxis.
The northern part of the island has 3 airports. 2 are located in the west and east. There are also 2 airports in the south. The central part is mountainous, so there are no airfields there.
International airports
Bandaranaike Airport is located not far from the city of Negombo. It is 35 km away from the city of Colombo. to the south. Location - in the western part of the island. Therefore, it is better for those tourists who are planning their vacation in this part of the country to fly here.
Some tourists unknowingly come to Ratmalana Airport. This is a problem for those who trust Google because it gives the nearest airport to Colombo.
The second international airport, Mattala Rajapaksa, is located in the southeast of the island. The complex is large, but only Flydubai flies here from foreign companies. Tourism is not developing so actively in this part of the island.
Colombo (Bandaranaike Airport)
Among the airports in Sri Lanka, Bandaranaike should be highlighted. This is the main international airport. It is distinguished by coziness and high comfort for visitors. At the same time, it is characterized by Asian fuss.
Official website of the airport: www.airport.lk
Using this busiest airport as an example, we will provide information about work, customs control and reviews from visitors.
Clearing customs
Documents you need to have with you:
- A foreign passport valid for at least 3 months before the end of the trip;
- Flights;
- Insurance;
- Money;
- Certificate from the bank if importing more than $10 thousand per person.
You are allowed to import 20 kg per person. If there is one suitcase for several persons, then its weight should not exceed 32 kg. For excess there will be an additional payment. Hand luggage – up to 5 kg. per person. Upon departure, everything is carefully checked.
Customs restrictions:
- No more than $10 thousand in cash.
- Valuable equipment and jewelry are declared.
- Tobacco products are subject to a duty of 7 rupees per cigarette or 1300 rupees per 1 kg. tobacco
- You can import 6 kg. tea per person.
- Allowed to import 2 bottles of wine or 1.5 liters. strong alcohol.
- Cosmetics are allowed for an amount not exceeding $250.
It is prohibited to import: drugs, ammunition, weapons, pornography, gold.
Export prohibited:
- Antiques;
- Ancient manuscripts and other cultural values;
- Precious stones;
- Animals;
- Plants.
Online scoreboard
Airport plan
Visa at the airport
You can apply for a visa in advance via the Internet. In this case it will cost $30.
For some reason, not everyone is able to obtain a visa in advance. But you can also get it at the airport. But it will cost more. The procedure is simple and not tedious. However, the latter depends on the queue.
Tips for obtaining a visa on arrival:
- Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Cost is $35 per person. Children under 12 years old are free.
- Confirmation of cash for accommodation - in individual cases.
If you have to apply for a visa upon arrival at the airport, you must have a return ticket in hand, in paper form. If you don't have it, the airline may not put you on your flight to Sri Lanka. In other words, there is a risk of not being able to fly away.
Watch a video of a walk through Colombo Airport:
Reviews
Below is information from visitors to the airport in Colombo. People felt the atmosphere and appreciated the quality of the services. Travelers have something to compare with, so their opinion is worth listening to.
Alexander Ivanichev, 34 years old
The flight arrived in the morning, so there were very few people. Luggage is handed out in a spacious hall, and the building itself is spacious. The toilets are basically standard, there is no depressing picture.
There are a large number of kiosks at the exit from the airport building. There you can also find a currency exchange and buy a SIM card for communication. By the way, the Internet on the island is characterized by high speed.
It is better to change money at the airport, since the exchange rate at the hotel is too high. By the way, keep the receipt. When you get ready to go home, you can exchange the money back, if you have any left, at the same rate.
But upon departure the picture was somewhat different. The entrance is located in a different place. There are many duty-free shops there, as well as cafes and restaurants for every taste. However, everything is distinguished by a high price. In principle, nothing surprising for a busy international airport.
As for the hall itself, everything is neat, no worse than in the USA or Saudi Arabia. However, one can feel the Hindu lack of culture, since there are many of them there. Some even sleep on the floor.
Passport control was not without a queue. The waiting room with metal chairs is quite comfortable. It is somewhat reminiscent of Dubai Airport.
Positive points:
- You can easily find a cafe with good food.
- There are many shops with various products, which is interesting for tourists.
Negative sides:
- Prices are higher compared to the rest of the country. But this is true almost all over the world.
- Queues, which is also predictable for an international airport.
Marina Ilyintseva, 41 years old
Due to the nature of my profession, I have to fly a lot. That's why I've seen a lot of airports. As for Columbo, he unexpectedly surprised me in a good way!
Advantages:
- Friendly staff;
- Thoughtfulness;
- Large waiting room;
- Comfort gates.
Flaws:
- Air conditioners do not work everywhere (perhaps they did not have time to service them).
- Expensive shopping area.
The main airport is bustling. It will seem unpleasant to those who have visited only American or European countries. But you just have to get used to the Asian rhythm and everything is fine.
Passport control is fast, especially with a pre-issued electronic permit. All that remains is to fill out the migration card.
There are tons of shops. The prices are good. However, why not buy a TV on vacation, especially in Sri Lanka? You can also find banks for currency exchange here. The rates at the airport are low, so don't miss out. In the future, you can lose money on the island.
Everything at the airport is close by, so you don't have to wander around. There is a feeling of some kind of comfort. There are no labyrinths, nor large corridors.
Duty free shops only accept dollars. The remaining rupees can only be spent in a cafe or to buy souvenirs.
Mattala Rajapaksa Airport
In the southern part of the island, an entire agricultural complex was erected - Mattala Rajapaksa. But despite the scale of construction, the investment was not justified. Therefore, the complex is mainly used for domestic flights.
Official website of the airport: http://www.airport.lk/mria/index.php#page=page-3
The nearest large city is located on the coast - Hambantona. Up to 26 km, which will take about half an hour by taxi. Colombo is 262 km away, which is equivalent to a 4.5 hour drive.
This airport may be convenient for the following reasons:
- For a holiday in the southern part of the country.
- When is it cheaper to fly to Sri Lanka to this airport? But given the cost of tickets from Flydubai, this is unlikely for domestic consumers. But, depending on where you fly from.
- For domestic flights from the western part of the island for sightseeing. For example, to visit Yala it is easier to fly from Colombo to Mattala and then drive. The journey from Mattala will take 2 hours, and from Colombo – 5.
Everyone, without exception, will like the inside - the building is too magnificently built.
Online scoreboard
Ratmalana is a domestic airport serving the city of Colombo. It was the first and only international airport in Sri Lanka until the opening of Bandaranaike at Katunaike in 1967. To date, the airport has been opened for international and charter flights. The airport is located 15 km south of the city of Colombo.
Official website of the airport: http://www.airport.lk/rma/index.php#page=page-3
Koggala Airport
The first flight from Koggala Airport was in 1942. So it is one of the oldest airports in the country. But its runway was built after the end of the war. Koggala Airport is served by the Sri Lanka Air Force.
From the city you can get to the airport by taxi. The complex is used not only for military aviation, but also for domestic flights. The country's government has a plan to modernize the complex so that it meets international requirements. Perhaps over time it will accept international flights.
Finally, we offer you a review of the top 10 best beaches in Sri Lanka:
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.
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