Sri Lanka's only international airport is Bandaranaike International Airport is also known as Colombo International Airport and Katunayake International Airport. The airport is located 35 km north of Colombo. It is the hub of Sri Lankan Airlines which is the national carrier of Sri Lanka. Currently the airport has a single runway and there are plans to construct a second runway that will be able to accommodate the Airbus A380 aircraft. Asides from handling international and domestic flights, the airport also handles a large number of cargo flights.

Information Desk:

The information desk is located on the first floor of the airport's terminal building. Asides from handling passenger queries regarding flights and airport services, they also have a fax and photocopier for travelers to use.

Terminal Facilities:

There are six banks that offer money changing facilities at the arrival lobby. A post office is also located in the arrival lobby. There are a number of telephone booths located throughout the terminal. In addition there is a communication counter that provides international direct dialing and fax facilities in the transit lounge.
There are two restaurants in the terminal. A restaurant operated by Sri Lankan Airlines is located in the transit lounge. There is another restaurant in the departure lobby that serves snacks, meals and hot and cold beverages.
There are a number of duty-free shops located in the arrival and departure lounges that sell a variety of products. Wines, spirits, jewelry, perfumes, handicrafts, silk items and even electronic goods can be purchased from these shops.
There is a bonded luggage storage facility available at the airport. Arriving passengers can get their luggage checked and packed and placed in storage till they depart from Sri Lanka.

There is a first aid center which is manned by nurses at the airport. For transit passengers there are air-conditioned rooms where passengers can stretch out and rest and take a shower before catching their next flight.

Special assistance for disabled passengers is also available at the airport.

Getting to and From the Airport:

Most four and five star hotels provide free pick and drop services for their guests to and from the airport. There are two car parking facilities at the airport. There are car rental facilities available on arrival at the airport. You can rent a car or a van with a chauffeur to drop you at your destination. Groups on holiday generally rent air-conditioned vans to drop them to their holiday destinations.

There is a taxi stand outside the terminal building from where passengers can hire taxis. There is a airport taxi service available at the airport that operates a fleet of 600 taxis.

An intercity bus operates from the airport to Colombo after every 30 minutes. The bus can be over crowded and passengers are advised to inform the driver of the destination that they want to get off at in Colombo.

There is a daily train service that operates on a different time every day of the week from Colombo to the airport. Like buses the train is also overcrowded and riding on it can be quite an experience.