British Airways has reinstated a direct link between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom after an absence of 11 years, operating three weekly services between Colombo (CMB) and London Gatwick (LGW).
Service details and pricing
The inaugural British Airways flight arrived in Colombo on 24 October. The carrier will operate the route three times per week using a Boeing 777, offering a three-class cabin layout: Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller. To mark the resumption, the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation reported promotional return economy fares from Colombo starting at 255,000 rupees, with discounts of up to 10% also available.
| carrier | origin | destination | start date | weekly frequency | aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways | Colombo (CMB) | London Gatwick (LGW) | inaugural flight arrived 24 October | 3 | Boeing 777 |
Official reactions and context
Neil Chernoff, Chief Planning and Strategy Officer at British Airways, was quoted as saying the restart reconnects Sri Lanka with the airline’s global flight network. Ruwan Waidyaratne, Managing Director of Hayleys Advantis, said the resumption develops aviation connectivity between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.
The service reinstates a direct long-haul link that had been absent for more than a decade and is positioned to support tourism, trade and business ties between Sri Lanka and the UK. The carrier’s three-class configuration aligns the operation with British Airways’ long-haul product offering.
Commercial offer
The initial marketing push includes the published economy return starting fare of 255,000 rupees and discounts reportedly capped at 10%. The Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation communicated the promotional fares as part of the anniversary of the route’s return.
- Inaugural flight arrived in Colombo on 24 October
- Service frequency: three weekly round trips
- Aircraft type: Boeing 777 with three cabin classes
No further schedule detail, onward connections, or ticketing distribution information was provided in the material examined.
