Mumbai07 Oct 22 1 Traveller Economy
Showing International Flight from Colombo
About Colombo
Colombo is the largest city and the commercial capital of Sri Lanka. It is one of the holiday destinations that you must add to your travel list. It is also known for its eclectic dining scene and its nightlife. It is also a great place to shop for clothes, wedding invitations and indulge in spa treatments. Sri Lanka is also known for its wildlife and elephant sanctuaries. It is the perfect place to go to if you want to club your luxurious, relaxing holiday plans with adventures. You can either volunteer to help out at an Elephant Sanctuary or sign up for a walking tour. Do try the ayurvedic spas in the city to relieve yourself of all the stress. You can book a hotel in Colombo at an affordable price. While it is not exactly the cheapest holiday destination in Asia, it is worth every money spent. The city is also known for its temples and no matter which religion you follow, you will find a temple of your choice of deity/religion here.
Best Time to Visit Colombo
January to March is ideal for taking off to Colombo on a trip since they are the driest months of the year. The best season to visit, however, is winter from November to March. Winters are quite chilly, and it is the best time to go sightseeing, too. The rainfall does not affect any of your sightseeing plans or any other outdoor activities. It is also an ideal time to head to the beaches and indulges in a few water activities. Colombo also has a very vibrant nightlife that is best experienced in winter when there is barely any rainfall. You can book a hotel in Colombo that is either close to the beach or the nightclubs, depending on how you intend to spend your holiday. The temperature ranges from 25 to 30 degree Celsius. January to March is the high tourist season in Colombo, and a lot of attractions will be filled with tourists. Colombo is also filled with festive spirit during these months as they celebrate festivals like Thai Pongal, Independence Day of Sri Lanka, New Year and Duruthu Perahera Festival. Make sure you book your flight tickets to Colombo well in advance if you are on a budget. If you are planning to go to Colombo on your honeymoon, this is the best time to go.
Colombo experiences summer from May to October, and it is considered as an off-season for tourists. Not only is it unbearably hot in the city, but it is also quite humid, so much that you won't feel like stepping out of your hotel at all. The temperature ranges from 28 to 32 degrees and will only make you uncomfortable. However, since it is offseason, you will get great flight deals to Colombo online. It also rains during this season and might lead to a hailstorm sometimes. If you are not an outdoorsy person and prefer indoor activities, this might be the best time for you to head to Colombo. You will also get really good hotels at a reasonable price during this time since it is offseason and the demand is low. You can sip cocktails by the pool in your hotel or indulge in relaxing spa treatments. You can also explore the Pettah market during this time without being hassled by the tourist crowd. It starts raining from May to August, and it rains intermittently in September and October. The temperature ranges around 28 degree Celsius during this time.
Places to Visit in Colombo
Galle Face Green is a popular beach park in Colombo that you can visit. You can also indulge in a lot of water activities at the beach. Pettah Market is another popular destination where you can go on a shopping spree and walk away with high-end luxury items at the lowest prices. Fort-Colombo is an important tourist attraction in the capital of Sri Lanka. It is the political and cultural heritage of the country and is also known for its vibrant nightlife. A major part is shut because of the turbulence caused by the Civil War. You will also find a lot of casinos here. The National Museum of Colombo is the largest one in Sri Lanka. It was founded by the British Governor of Ceylon from 1872 to 1877, William Henry Gregory. You will find artwork that dates back to the British Colonial and Portuguese era, along with a lot of artefacts. The Gangaramaya temple is famous for its blend of culture and architectural styles from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Chinese and India. It was built in the 19th century and is a place of Buddhist worship and learning. Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara is another Buddhist temple that was built in the 5th century, which holds a lot of historical importance. The temple sees a lot of tourists and devotees during the Duruthu Maha Perehera every January and on full moon days of every month. The paintings and sculptures in the temple will tell you tales from Lord Buddha's life and the Jataka Tales.
Beira Lake is another popular landmark in the city where you can head to if you want to relax and soak in the beautiful views. It is also a highly recommended place for couples to head to in Colombo. Colombo Zoo also called the National Zoological Garden of Sri Lanka, houses over 300 different species of animals, birds, marine life and reptiles from all over the world. Casino Marina started in 2013 and is usually filled with elite tourists in the evenings. You can gamble away till wee hours of the night or enjoy the view of the sea from here. World Trade Centre is one of the most famous colonial buildings that you will find in the Old Fort area. St Lucia's Cathedral got its name after the saint martyr, St Lucia, who is believed to have protected everyone with eye problems in Colombo. It was built in 1760, and the Gothic style architecture draws tourists to it every year. Panadura and Crow Island Beaches are quite popular in the city and the best spots to indulge in recreational activities. You will find a lot of beach parks and temples in the city that are worth a visit.
Things to do in Colombo
Sign up for a city tour of Colombo and indulge in all the activities that come with your tour package. You can also get a customised tour of places that are of interest to you and activities that you have listed in your itinerary. Sri Lanka is known for its seafood and treating yourself to fresh seafood at Mt Lavinia Beach is highly recommended. While you can always rent a taxi for the entire day to get around the city, you can also enjoy a tuk-tuk ride, which is a popular way for locals to get around the city. Pettah Market, Good Market, Paradise Road are some of the popular places in the city for you to go on a shopping spree. You can also indulge in rejuvenating massage therapies at the spas in Colombo. The city also offers scuba diving at certain locations. If you want to give water sports a try, make sure you try this one. Most beaches also have boating, surfing and other water activities for you to try.
Food and Restaurants in Colombo
Seafood, especially prawns, is popular in Colombo since it is a coastal city. Curry Leaf and Seafood's Cove are some of the popular restaurants for you to binge on seafood or other types of meat. The city also has a lot of Indian restaurants; a lot of them have a vegetarian menu, too. Spice Coast is known for its biryani, Chana's for delicious North Indian cuisine and Shanmugas for its vegetarian menu. While you are trying seafood in the city, make sure you also try the chilli crabs. Paradise Road Gallery Cafe is a lovely cafe that is set in a walled garden and also has rotating exhibitions by local artists. It is considered as one of the most romantic restaurants in Colombo and is popular for its cakes. Rare is a chic and modern restaurant in Colombo with wonderful service. The restaurant uses organic produce to cook their unique, delicious cuisines and also boast of a wine cellar with over 150 labels. The lagoon is one of the best seafood restaurants in Colombo, and the fish curries, lobster Thermidor and raw sashimi are their speciality dishes.
How to reach Colombo (Transportation)
Bandaranaike International Airport, also called Colombo International Airport, is about 32 km north of Colombo. The flight connectivity to Colombo from India is excellent. While there are only a few direct flights to Colombo from India, most of the flights have layovers in Chennai or Bangalore. GoAir, Indigo and Spicejet have the maximum number of flights from India. However, Vistara and Srilankan Airlines have direct flights that help you reach the city in 2-3 hours instead of 6 hours. It is also quite easy to get cheap flight tickets to Colombo from India.
About Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines is the national flag carrier to the country of Turkey. The airline has excellent scheduled services to destinations across Europe, North and South American, Asia and Africa. It is one of the largest mainline carriers in the world with respect to passenger destinations. Turkish Airlines is also recognised as one of the only airlines to serve non-stop flights to a plethora of destinations from a single airport. It flies to about 126 countries directly, which is more than any other airline prevalent in the world. The airport also has an operational fleet of 24 cargo aircraft. Turkish Airlines' corporate headquarters is located at the Turkish Airlines General Management Building, which is on the grounds of Istanbul Atatürk Airport in Ye?ilköy, Bak?rköy, Istanbul. The Istanbul Airport in Arnavutkoy is Turkish Airlines' main hub base. The second hubs for the airline are Ankara Esenbo?a Airport and ?zmir Adnan Menderes Airport. In 2008, the airline also became part of the Star Alliance airline carrier network.
Founded in 1933, the airline was originally called as Turkish State Airlines and worked under the Ministry of National Defence. The airline underwent tremendous issues in the 1980s and 90s and even received a reputation for extremely poor customer service and flight delays. There are hijackings and other such concerns that took over, including the 1974 crash of the Turkish Airlines Flight 981 when the aircraft's flaw in design led to a massive accident that resulted in deaths of passengers. However, the airline's officials worked on fixing all the problems one after the other. While the necessary flight-related concerns were being fixed, Turkish Airlines continued to extend its international reach by attracting codeshare agreements with airlines such as American Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines. Asiana Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Czech Airlines. Turkey's economic crisis also led to a reduction in the domestic route airline passenger traffic. Further, a war in Iraq in 2003 affected the closing of some international routes.
Turkish Airlines has grown phenomenally despite all the trials and tribulations. After much political dissonance and other complications witnessed by Turkish Airlines, the airline also recovered from its financial losses in 2017. The profitability witnessed a 35 per cent increase in turnover. Turkish Airlines has managed to find its glorious reputation of being one of the top airlines in the world yet again. Several miles and frequent-flyer programs have also been introduced by Turkish Airlines. The airline has been an official carrier to several football clubs including Manchester United, FC Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Aston Villa and FK Sarajevo, to name a few. Renowned athletes like Lionel Messi, Kobe Bryant, Wayne Rooney, Kevin Costner and Didier Drogba have been roped in for sponsorship and promotions deals by the airlines. Turkish Airline has been recognised with several accolades by Skytrax. Some of the titles received by the airline include Europe's Best Airline, World's Best Premium Economy Class Airline Seat and Southern Europe's Best Airline for consecutive years.
Fleet size of Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines' fleet size stands at 353 aircraft. The airline only has aircraft variants from the Airbus and Boeing family. Some of the aircrafts namely Airbus A319-100s, Airbus A321-200, Airbus A330-300s, Boeing 737-800s, Boeing 777-300ERs, Airbus A321neo and more are part of the fleet. In 2016, the airline announced that it was delaying the delivery of about 39 Boeing and Airbus aircraft due to a drop in the air traffic. Turkish Airlines was originally supposed to bring in a committed 167 aircraft including 92 Airbus A321neos, 65 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 10 Boeing 737 MAX 9s. Additionally, the airline was also slated to receive about 10-32 aircraft in 2018. However, the orders have been pushed through 2023 as the airline's outstanding orders are yet to be received. In 2019, the airline did receive its first-ever Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which was ordered back in March 2018. The airline has shown keen interest in acquiring Airbus A220 and Embraer E190/E195 to serve new destinations.
Baggage Allowance
The checked baggage allowance on Turkish Airlines is 32 kg. The passengers are allowed to carry 32 kg weighed baggage for free. The weight is applicable to single baggage that a passenger can carry. Beyond the stated baggage allowance, Turkish Airlines will not accept more. It is recommended that the passenger avoid carrying unnecessary and restricted items in their baggage. This might turn into a concern if you are travelling within a new city. Additionally, the passenger is also entitled to carry a piece of baggage that weighs not more than 23 kg. The luggage cannot exceed the weight stated by the airline. Similarly, the airline has also put forth a dimension for the baggage that needs to be followed. The dimension of the bags cannot exceed a total of 115 cm. The cabin baggage that is allowed by the airline is also cannot be more than 8 kg. As long as the piece of baggage's measurements falls under the dimension of 23x40x55 cm, the airline will accommodate the same. Along with the hand baggage, Turkish Airline also allows a small bag such as a handbag or a laptop bag that can be rested under the seat.
Passengers are allowed to carry musical instruments, sports equipment and other fragile items along with them on board. However, there are certain restrictions and rules that need to be followed by the traveller to ensure that no problem crops up. In case passengers are flying with infants, Turkish Airlines also has reservations to cater to the needs of the travellers. The airline provides spaces for strollers and other equipment too, which can be availed by passengers. Similarly, passengers who have physical disability and mobility issues can carry crutches and equipment to help them move around.
In-flight services
Turkish Airlines' in-flight services promise comfort and luxury. The seating is exquisite as the reclining chairs have a capacity to add to the comfort of the passenger. Further, the business class and economy class also offer legroom and adjustable footrest that can add to the luxury of the traveller. The seats are also capable of turning into comfortable beds with a lift-up seat design. Following the exquisite seating arrangement, the airline also offers phenomenal in-flight services. There are entertainment systems that are personalised and cater to individual passengers. The seats also come with power plug systems to help with the charging of portable electronic gadgets. For medium and long haul flights, the airline has in-flight meals too. They are complementary and can be requested to the airline ahead of the journey.
Much of the dishes that can be found in meals served in the economy class of Turkish Airlines include Turkish dishes. There are hot and cold beverages as well as snack services also available onboard. Interestingly, the airline also offers amenity kit as part of their ticket. The kit includes a sleep mask, toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, earplugs and lip balm. The airline has reserved entertainment content for kids travelling with parents. The in-flight entertainment systems have in-built games, films, music and a range of TV channels for children. The airline also has toy sets that can be requested on board.
Popular routes and top cities for Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines is known to have an immaculate domestic route and international route connectivity. The airline flies to more than 50 domestic cities and 244 international destinations that have been spread across 123 countries. Turkish Airlines has flights reserved for about 108 cities in Turkey and Europe. As for other continents, the airline connects to 64 Asian cities and 19 cities in the Americas. Outside of Turkey, Turkish Airlines sees a large number of flights serving Germany, Russia, Italy, the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Spain and the United Kingdom. These countries see the maximum number of flights being chartered by the airline. The airline also provides carrier services to Indian cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Ahmedabad.
Why travel by Turkish Airlines?
Turkish Airlines has built a reputation for its excellent domestic route and international route connections. With flights catering to over 315 destinations worldwide, the airline has become one of the most sought-after options. Despite several complications and concerns that have cropped up over the years, Turkish Airlines has seen tremendous growth. It has upgraded its passenger fleet and even enhanced the facilities that make it more accessible for travellers. You can find and even book a Turkish Airlines flight on the airline's official website. Simultaneously, you will be able to find out more about the flight details such as flight status on the site. Often passengers even get their web check-in done on the official website. If you download the airline's app from Play Store, you can further get hold of details on Turkish Airlines' flight schedule. The in-flight services of Turkish Airlines also add to the world-class facilities that can be availed at the airport and the flight. The airline has dedicated first and business class lounges installed at the airports.
About Colombo Airport
Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport, popularly known as Bandaranaike International Airport is the international hub that serves Sri Lanka. The airport is situated at Negombo and has been named after SWRD Bandaranaike, the former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
About Airport Terminals
Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport stretches about 32.5 km at Katunayake. The airport accommodates three passenger terminals with Terminal 1 being reserved for international airlines and flight activity. Terminal 2 also caters to international activities while Terminal 3 is set for domestic airline functions. Terminal 1 is the oldest and largest terminal in the Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport with 12 gates. It opened back in 1967. Departure and arrival are also located in the same terminal and separated horizontally. Currently, all the international operations take place from this terminal. The terminal is connected to one concourse which has all the 12 gates. The terminal also has two lounges with Srilankan Airlines' famous Serendib Lounge being installed. Along with this, the Palm Spirit lounge is also located in proximity. Terminal 1 also has a dedicated cafeteria, day-rooms, showers, duty-free shops and a smoking lounge.
Terminal 2 has been constructed and opened much recently. It has eight gates and accommodates departure and arrival areas which are separated vertically. As per expansion plans, the airport plans to build an extension to Terminal 2 which will be built in stages and phases. The new terminal is set to have eight boarding gates along with 14 passenger boarding bridges. The proposed development plan also has bridge accommodations for Airbus A380. Terminal 3 came into existence in 2012 and has since been used for domestic operations. The departure and arrival zones are strategically separated in a horizontal manner. There is a dedicated Cargo Terminal that takes care of all cargo airline activities. The arrival and departure are separated in the same way as terminal 1, horizontally.
About Airport Authority
Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport is owned by the Government of Sri Lanka while it is operated by Airport and Aviation Services Limited (AASL). AASL is a government body that has statutory powers to administer, manage and work on the development of the airport. The statutory body is also known to be a big contributor to Sri Lanka's economy as the civil aviation industry has witnessed tremendous financial revenues from the airport. Other airports that also fall under the AASL umbrella are Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, Ratmalana Airport, Batticaloa Airport and Jaffna International Airport.
The airport has been going through some tremendous expansion plans and developments with a view to accommodating more airlines and flights. A split-level passenger terminal building is being constructed which would be separating both the departures as well as the arrivals vertically. Further on the same, there are constructions for a passenger boarding bridges that would directly connect to the new Airbus A380. Adding to the infrastructure would be a remote apron along with nine parking bays to facilitate air traffic movement. Stage II of the expansion seeks to acquiesce 600 hectares of land for construction of a new runway that can accommodate newer airplanes as well as aircraft maintenance and repair centre.
Top airlines flying from Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport
Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport accommodates various airlines as it is recognized to be one of the best tourist destinations. With its proximity to India, the airport sees a good amount of flights flying to Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport from the Indian cities. Some of the biggest Indian airlines operate from Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport are Air India, GoAir, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Vistara. These airlines have dedicated direct flights to Sri Lanka. Indian cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Madurai, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Kochi, to name a few, have provisions of direct flight connections to Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport.
Similarly, various international airlines are also linked to Sri Lanka. In fact, some of the international airlines that operate from Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport are Air Arabia, AirAsia, Air China, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern Airlines, Cinnamon Air, Edelweiss Air, Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai, Gulf Air, Korean Air, Kuwait Airways, LOT Polish Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Salam Air, Saudia, Silkair, Singapore Airlines, Srilankan Airlines, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines and SCAT Airlines. A majority of the flight activities come from the Middle East and Southeast Asian countries. A handful of cargo carriers also fly in and out of the airport. These include Cathay Pacific Cargo, Turkish Airlines Cargo, SriLankan Cargo and Etihad Cargo.
Facilities at Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport
ATM, banks and currency exchange - The airport has a bunch of local banks and ATM services available. If you need to make the currency exchange for travelling within Sri Lanka or if you need some cash in hand for your destination outside the country, it can be arranged at the airport's premise.
Communication services - If you are in need of a local SIM service for your trip, you can get hold of the same at the airport itself. There are booths at the arrivals where they have telecommunication services. With necessary identification documents, you can get hold of the SIM.
Free WiFI - There are free WiFi services available at the airport. You will need to go to the website of Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport to avail the same. Or you can visit the information desk to learn more about how to work around it.
Medical services - To ensure that medical emergencies at the airport are resolved quickly, the airport has also installed designated medical rooms and services. You can find them as well as pharmacies also at the airport. In case you are unable to find them, you can visit the nearest information desk and get more details. The airport paramedic services are known to be of good quality.
Baggage - With respect to baggage services, the airport offers a slew of facilities that would be beneficial. You can get hold of services ranging from wrapping plastic on the luggage, trolleys, storage facilities for the luggage, delivering luggage to the specified destination and more.
Pet assistance - There is room for pet services at the airport too. In case you are travelling with pets, there are professional staff who can take care of your pets as well as their needs. They would require authorized papers and documents from the Department of Animal Production and Health.
Porter service - You can avail porter services at the airport. Basically, you will have to inform your airlines well in advance to book a porter service. The airport staff will escort you through the terminals and take care of your luggage. This would include a security check of the bags, wrapping services, etc.
Airport lounge - There are three lounges at the airport, namely, Lotus, Araliya and Executive. The lounges have been designed in a way to enhance tranquillity and excellent hospitality. You can relax in the lounge, and at the same time, you can avail their services too. These include rich culinary delights, good resting space and complimentary showers and spa.
Restaurants and cafe - Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport has many restaurants and cafes available. The departures and arrivals have good food establishments located perfectly to cater to passengers. Along with restaurants, the airport also as dedicated food courts that is in proximity to the lounge area.
Smoking zone - Smoking in public space is prohibited in Sri Lanka. Hence, the airport has also reserved a space for a smoking lounge. You can make purchases for cigarette boxes at nearby shops within the airport premise.
Transit Hotel - The airport's transit hotel is named Serendiva and offers world-class contemporary decor, aesthetic construction, modern amenities and top-notch hospitality. The interiors are known to bring about the rich culture of Sri Lanka. It is situated on the main pier of the Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport's arrival/departure zone. The hotel is also surrounded by duty-free shops, lounges, immigration counters, cafes and more.
How to reach Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport
The airport offers exemplary transport services and is well-connected to the main city. Although you would be required to travel a little depending on your itinerary and which part of the country you'll be visiting. But you will be able to reach the Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport from different parts of the country. There are public buses, transport services and taxicabs available.
Buses
Express public buses are available within the city that can reach you to Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport. It would only take about 25 mins to reach Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport from Colombo (Pettah) bus stand. From here, you can traverse through all parts of the country without any hassle. You will need to get used to the crowd because the buses are always packed.
Taxicab services
The city is well-connected by taxicab services that can be availed to reach the Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport. In fact, the airport also sees counters and lanes with taxi services outside the airport's arrival section. The arrival porch allows a fleet of 600 vehicles with fixed rates. With the taxicab, you can reach any part of the country, but it might get expensive depending on the distance from Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport.
