Terminal 1
The international terminal, used by every international flight. A renovation to raise its capacity and a new Terminal 2 are planned.
También conocido como: Colombo Airport, CMB Airport, Katunayake Airport, Bandaranaike Airport, Colombo Bandaranaike Airport, Negombo Airport. Antes Katunayake International Airport.
CMB · VCBI · Katunayake
Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) is the main international airport of Sri Lanka and the gateway to Colombo, the country's largest city. It stands at Katunayake, about 32 km (20 miles) north of central Colombo and a short drive from the beach town of Negombo. The Colombo–Katunayake Expressway (E03) links the airport with the city in about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on traffic.
SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier, is based here and flies to India, the Maldives, the Gulf, Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, London and Paris. Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, flydubai, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, IndiGo, Air India and Cathay Pacific also serve Colombo. The airport handled about 8.8 million passengers in 2024.
All international flights use the single passenger terminal, Terminal 1. Domestic flights, including Cinnamon Air's small planes to Sigiriya, Trincomalee and the south coast, use a separate domestic terminal. A second international terminal is planned but not yet built.
From the airport, many travelers head first to Negombo's hotels and beach, or south to Colombo's Fort, Kollupitiya and Mount Lavinia. Others set off on longer drives inland to Kandy, Sigiriya and Dambulla, or down the coast to Bentota and Galle.
Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited, owned by the Government of Sri Lanka
1967, when Air Ceylon began international services
One runway, 04/22, 3,350 m long
About 8.8 million in 2024
SriLankan Airlines
All international flights arrive at Terminal 1. Before you land, make sure you have Sri Lanka's Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), applied for online at eta.gov.lk; most visitors need one, even those whose nationality pays no fee.
Your first stop is immigration, where officers check your passport and ETA and may ask for your onward ticket and accommodation address. Lines are longest late in the evening and early in the morning, when many long-haul flights land. On the way to baggage claim you pass the arrival duty-free shops. Collect your bags from the carousel shown on the monitors, using the free baggage carts, then walk through customs, taking the green channel if you have nothing to declare.
The arrivals hall beyond customs has bank counters for currency exchange, ATMs, and SIM card kiosks for Dialog, SLT-Mobitel and Airtel. The official airport taxi counter is in the arrivals hall, and app rides such as PickMe and Uber use a signposted pickup point outside. Pre-booked drivers wait for you as you leave the arrivals hall.
Sri Lanka uses the Sri Lankan rupee and runs on Sri Lanka Standard Time (UTC+5:30) all year.
A taxi, app ride or pre-booked car is the easiest choice with luggage; the expressway bus is the budget option to Colombo.
Book an official airport taxi at the counter in the arrivals hall, where fares are set by vehicle type and destination. Taxis go door to door to Negombo, Colombo and anywhere on the island, and are the simplest choice late at night.
Both ride-hailing apps work at the airport, with a signposted pickup point outside arrivals. You need mobile data to book, so buy a local SIM or set up an eSIM first.
Air-conditioned bus 187 runs via the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway to Colombo Fort, and other expressway buses run to the Makumbura Multimodal Center at Kottawa. They are cheap but leave from a bus stand away from the terminal, so they suit light travelers.
Katunayake railway station near the airport has a few slow local trains a day toward Negombo and Colombo Fort. The dedicated Airport Express train no longer runs, so most travelers use the road.
Car rental companies have counters in the arrivals hall, and many offer a car with a driver. Sri Lanka drives on the left, and visitors who drive themselves need a temporary Sri Lankan driving permit as well as their license.
A pre-booked car meets you as you leave arrivals and drives you to your hotel in Negombo or Colombo, or on a longer journey to Kandy, Sigiriya or the south coast, useful for families and late-night arrivals.
Compara proveedores para tu dirección exacta
Escribe tu hotel para ver el precio y todos los proveedores que llegan hasta allí.
The international terminal, used by every international flight. A renovation to raise its capacity and a new Terminal 2 are planned.
A small separate terminal for domestic flights, including Cinnamon Air's services to regional airports and water landings around Sri Lanka.
Aeroflot T1
Moscow Sheremetyevo (seasonal)
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi T1
Abu Dhabi
Air Astana T1
Almaty (seasonal)
Air Seychelles T1
Mahé
Batik Air Malaysia T1
Kuala Lumpur
Beijing Capital Airlines T1
Beijing Daxing
Chongqing Airlines T1
Chongqing, Malé
Cinnamon Air Domestic terminal
Batticaloa, Castlereagh, Hambantota, Koggala, Sigiriya, Trincomalee
FitsAir T1
Ahmedabad, Dhaka, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, Malé
French Bee T1
Paris Orly (from 19 December 2026), Malé (seasonal)
S7 Airlines T1
Novosibirsk (from 20 December 2026)
SriLankan Airlines T1
Bangkok, Chennai, Delhi, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Kuala Lumpur, London Heathrow, Malé, Melbourne, Mumbai, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo Narita and more
Branches of several Sri Lankan banks have exchange counters in the arrivals and departures halls.
Cash machines are in the arrivals hall, just after customs.
Dialog, SLT-Mobitel and Airtel kiosks in the arrivals hall sell tourist SIM cards and data packs.
Arriving passengers can shop at duty-free stores on the way to baggage claim, as well as in the departures area.
Information desks are in arrivals and departures, with a tourist information counter in the arrivals hall.
A first aid room staffed by nurses is in the arrivals immigration area, and the airport health office is open 24 hours.
Car rental companies have counters in the arrivals hall, with self-drive cars and cars with a driver.
A post office is located on the arrivals side of the terminal.
SriLankan Airlines' lounge for its business class passengers and eligible frequent flyers.
A paid lounge for departing passengers, open to pay-per-use guests.
Paid lounges with separate arrival and departure sections, including a lounge for passengers who have just landed.
Paid arrival and departure lounges, useful for a rest after a long flight or before departure.
Privilege lounges for invited and protocol passengers.
Ask your airline for wheelchair or other assistance when you book and confirm it before you fly; ground staff then meet you at the aircraft or check-in.
Wheelchair assistance is available through the terminal for passengers with reduced mobility and those traveling for medical reasons.
A first aid room staffed by nurses is near arrivals immigration, and the airport health office is open 24 hours.
The airport has parking lots beside and near the terminal.
Short-term parking next to the terminal, used by cars meeting arriving passengers.
A long-term parking lot about 300 m from the terminal.
Since May 2024, vehicles without a driver may not be parked at the arrivals area; drivers must stay with their vehicle or use a parking lot.
Bandaranaike International Airport is about 32 km (20 miles) north of central Colombo, at Katunayake. The Colombo–Katunayake Expressway (E03) links them, and the drive to Colombo Fort usually takes 30 to 45 minutes, longer at rush hour or when traffic backs up at the city end of the expressway.
Negombo is the closest town to the airport, about 10 km (6 miles) to the north. Most hotels along Negombo's beach road are a 20 to 30 minute drive away, which is why many travelers spend their first or last night there rather than in Colombo.
Yes. Bandaranaike International Airport, code CMB, is Sri Lanka's main international airport and is usually called Colombo Airport. It stands in Katunayake, so locals often call it Katunayake Airport, and it was officially named Katunayake International Airport between 1977 and 1995. It is named after former prime minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike.
All international flights use one passenger terminal, Terminal 1, so there is no terminal to choose on arrival. A small separate domestic terminal serves Cinnamon Air's flights around Sri Lanka. A second international terminal is planned but has not been built, and Terminal 1 is being renovated to add capacity.
Most visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), applied for online at eta.gov.lk before travel. Nationals of 40 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and much of Europe, get a free tourist ETA but must still apply. An ETA can also be obtained on arrival, but the line is slower. Singapore, Maldives and Seychelles nationals are exempt.
You go through immigration first, where officers check your passport and ETA. On the way to baggage claim you pass the arrival duty-free shops. After collecting your bags, walk through customs, using the green channel if you have nothing to declare, into the arrivals hall with banks, ATMs, SIM kiosks and the taxi counter.
Immigration can take anywhere from a few minutes to about an hour, depending on how many flights land together. Lines are usually longest late in the evening and in the early morning, when many long-haul flights arrive. Having your passport, ETA approval, onward ticket and hotel address ready speeds things up.
Yes. Air-conditioned bus 187 runs via the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway to Colombo Fort, and other expressway buses go to the Makumbura Multimodal Center at Kottawa. They are the cheapest way into Colombo, but they leave from a bus stand away from the terminal, so they suit travelers with light luggage.
Yes. Both PickMe, Sri Lanka's local ride-hailing app, and Uber operate at the airport, with a signposted pickup point outside arrivals. You need mobile data to book, so buy a local SIM card from one of the kiosks in the arrivals hall or set up an eSIM before you land.
Only a limited one. Katunayake railway station near the airport has a few slow local trains a day toward Negombo and Colombo Fort, but the dedicated Airport Express train no longer runs. Most travelers use a taxi, app ride, bus or pre-booked car instead.
Yes. Dialog, SLT-Mobitel and Airtel have kiosks in the arrivals hall selling tourist SIM cards with data. Branches of several Sri Lankan banks exchange US dollars, euros and pounds at counters in the arrivals hall, and ATMs there accept most foreign cards. Keep your receipt and count your cash at the counter.
Yes. SriLankan Airlines runs the Serendib Lounge for its business class passengers and eligible frequent flyers. Paid lounges include the Executive Lounge and the Silk Route and Gold Route lounges, which have arrival as well as departure sections, so you can rest or freshen up after a long flight.
Colombo airport is on Sri Lanka Standard Time (UTC+5:30), the same offset as India. There is no daylight saving time, so the clock stays the same all year. Flight times on your ticket are always shown in local time, so check them against your hotel check-in and any onward connections.
Ofrecemos transporte privado desde cualquier aeropuerto hasta cualquier hotel al mejor precio, y contamos con licencia y cobertura de responsabilidad total.
Airport Transportation ofrece únicamente transporte privado: en vans, SUV de lujo o minibuses.
Los precios de nuestro sitio web son por vehículo, no por persona, según un rango de pasajeros.
Las vans normales llevan hasta 9 pasajeros, los minibuses hasta 16 y los SUV de lujo hasta 6 pasajeros.
Sal por completo del aeropuerto. Verás a representantes con carteles: busca el logotipo de Airport Transportation o tu nombre.
Habitualmente Toyota Hiace, Volkswagen Transporter, Mercedes Sprinter, Volkswagen Crafter, Chevrolet Tahoe y Chevrolet Suburban.
Sí: contamos con un seguro de responsabilidad total para todos los pasajeros mientras usan nuestros servicios.
Las sillas para bebé se proporcionan con aviso previo, sujetas a disponibilidad, con un máximo de una silla por vehículo.
Puedes reservar con cualquier antelación; sugerimos entre una semana y un día antes. También hay reservas para el mismo día.
PayPal es nuestro método de pago principal; también hay una opción de pago en efectivo al reservar por nuestro sitio web. Las tarjetas de crédito se aceptan a través de PayPal.
Sí: para tu comodidad, todas nuestras unidades cuentan con aire acondicionado.
Durante la reserva te pedimos tu aerolínea y número de vuelo para poder rastrear los retrasos y esperarte.
Sí, puedes añadir una parada adicional a tu servicio durante el proceso de reserva.
No: los precios se fijan por rango de pasajeros o por vehículo, no por edad.
Sí. Cancela sin coste hasta 24 horas antes de tu recogida y se te reembolsa el importe completo. Las cancelaciones con menos de 24 horas de antelación no son reembolsables.
Sí: aunque su inglés puede no ser de nivel nativo, los conductores tienen la capacidad de comunicarse con los pasajeros.
Las propinas no son obligatorias, pero sí muy recomendables; los conductores las ganan gracias a la calidad de su servicio.
Todos los precios están en USD. A través de PayPal puedes pagar en casi cualquier moneda; los pagos en efectivo se aceptan solo en USD.
Podemos transportar mascotas domésticas dentro de transportines que quepan en un vehículo normal.
Sí: hay espacio de sobra para una maleta y un equipaje de mano por persona.
Todo traslado privado incluye un conductor profesional con licencia; un vehículo asegurado y en buen estado; seguimiento del vuelo en tiempo real; servicio de recepción a la llegada; y servicio puerta a puerta sin cargos ocultos añadidos después de reservar. Tu precio fijo cubre la ruta completa hasta tu destino.