Emirates Marks 40 Years of Operations to Colombo, Connecting Sri Lanka to the World

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, marks 40 years of service to Colombo, Sri Lanka this year. Since its inaugural flight in April 1986, Emirates has transported over 15 million passengers on more than 97,000 flights to and from the country. Additionally, in the last two decades alone, Emirates’ flights have uplifted more than 403,000 tonnes of cargo between Sri Lanka and the rest of the airline’s expansive network.

Emirates currently operates three daily flights, connecting Sri Lanka’s largest city to over 135 destinations on its vast network and supporting trade and tourism. On flights to and from Colombo, passengers enjoy the “Fly Better” experience aboard the Boeing 777 as well as the latest aircraft to join the Emirates fleet, the A350. The mix of both aircraft types offer seats in four cabin classes including Premium Economy.

In the past year, most passengers arriving into Sri Lanka embarked on their journeys from Europe, most notable of which included the UK, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Outbound travel from Colombo has primarily been to destinations including Dubai, and points in Saudi Arabia, the UK, Italy, France, and Madagascar.

To boost connectivity for its customers, Emirates expanded its partnership with SriLankan Airlines in 2023 to encompass 30 routes on an interline basis.  The collaboration provides valuable benefits for customers travelling to popular destinations in the Far East, Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, including seamless travel on one-ticket itineraries and greater connectivity to points on the network of both airlines.

Last year, Emirates reinforced its commitment to delivering premium travel experiences for travellers to and from Colombo by introducing its Premium Economy cabin on the airline’s latest A350 aircraft, featuring industry-first technologies, and also on the retrofitted B777 operated on flights EK650/651 with four refurbished cabin classes to provide its latest signature experience with its ultra-modern and premium aesthetic.

Over the years, Emirates has consistently delivered an exceptional passenger experience by offering generous baggage allowances, starting at 23 kg bags in Economy* and two 32 kg bags in First and Business Class per traveller. All passengers can enjoy regionally inspired menus by award-winning chefs and access to over 6,500 entertainment channels including content in Sinhala and Tamil.

*Depending on fare type