Sri Lanka is expanding its air connectivity with western India as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen tourism arrivals, with direct flights between Ahmedabad and Colombo scheduled to begin from June 19.
FitsAir will operate the service three times per week.
According to tourism and industry officials, the new route will significantly reduce travel time between the two cities:
- From nearly nine hours with transit stopovers
- To approximately three hours through direct flights
Tourism authorities noted that India continues to remain Sri Lanka’s largest tourism source market.
Speaking to WION, Kamal Munasinghe of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts said India contributed around 500,000 tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka last year, with expectations for further growth in 2026.
He described Ahmedabad as a relatively untapped market despite existing direct flight connections from several other Indian cities.
Industry representatives also highlighted:
- Strong outbound travel demand from Gujarat
- Cultural and historical ties between Sri Lanka and India
- Growing business and corporate travel demand
Nalaka Amaratunga of Walkers Tours stated that Indian tourists accounted for around 24% of Sri Lanka’s total tourist arrivals in 2025, with more than 531,000 Indian visitors recorded.
He further noted rising demand for:
- MICE tourism (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions)
- Corporate events and business travel
- Integrated resort and hospitality experiences in Colombo
Tourism stakeholders believe the new direct route could further strengthen bilateral tourism, business connectivity, and regional travel between western India and Sri Lanka.
