Getting there
By Air
The best way to enter Sri Lanka is by flying. 99.9 % of the visitors arrive through the Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake (about 30 km north Colombo). There are direct flights from U.K and other European and Asian countries as well as connecting flights from Southeast Asian hubs like Bangkok, Bombay, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Middle Eastern countries. There are flights from Los Angeles, New York and Canada via Bangkok or Singapore.
Sri Lankan Airlines is the official flag carrier. The national carrier links Sri Lanka to 54 destinations in 28 countries worldwide. Mihin Lanka is a budget airline based in Colombo which is fully owned and funded enterprise by the Sri Lankan government while Sri Lanka Air Taxi operates the domestic flights throughout Sri Lanka.
From Middle East
Airlines serving Middle East to Sri Lanka route include:
> Emirates
> Etihad Airlines
> Kuwait Airways
> Qatar Airways
> Royal Jordan
> RAK Airways
> Oman Air
> Saudi Arabia Airlines
> Gulf Air
> Mihin Lanka
> Yemnia -Yemen Airways
> Sri Lankan Airlines
From Europe
Airlines serving from Europe and Russia to Sri Lanka route are:
> Condor
> Edelweiss Air
> Lufthansa City Line
> KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
> Aeroflat Russian International Airlines
> British Airways
> AOM French Airlines
> LTU International Airways
> Eurofly, Air Italy
> Alitalia Airlines
> Blue Panorama
> Tarom- Romaniam Air Transport
> Martinair
> Varig-Brazil Airlines
> Austrian Airlines
> Sri Lankan Airlines
From Asia Pacific
Airlines serving Asia and other Pacific countries to Sri Lanka route include:
> Mihin Lanka
> Sri Lankan Airlines
> Kuwait Airlines
> Indian Airlines
> Singapore Airlines
> Biman Bangladesh Airlines
> Thai Airways International
> Malaysia Airlines
> Jet Lite
> Jet Airways
> Air India
> Cathay Pacific
Arriving
The island of Sri Lanka has 13 airports but only 5 of these airports are open for public use while the others are use by the military. The Bandaranaike International Airport is the only international airport in Sri Lanka and serves as the gateway to the country. It is about 30 km from Colombo which is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.
The Ratmalana Airport in Colombo served as international airport until 1967. At present it serves the domestic flights of the country.
By Sea
The Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean close to India and at the center of Asia, Far East, Middle East, Africa, and Australia. The strategic location of Sri Lanka has advantages to the logistics of transshipment activities and in international maritime activities.
Sri Lanka has three major commercial ports, Colombo, Galle, and Trincomalee. The Colombo Port ranked as the best port of South Asia according to the Lloyds Register and rank 26th in the world. It is the transshipment base of the country and cruise ships usually stop by for bunkers while yachts usually frequented the Port of Galle. Some of the major shipping lines calls at Colombo are Hyundai, American President Lines, Evergreen Marine, Maersk and Uniglory Lines.
Only 0.1 % of the foreign visitors used the Colombo Harbour as their port of entry to the country.
