Air travel between Australia and Sri Lanka reached a major milestone today with low-cost carrier Jetstar officially launching non-stop flights connecting Melbourne and Colombo.
The inaugural flight from Melbourne landed at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to a celebratory reception, highlighted by a traditional water cannon salute hosted by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited.
Operating three times weekly, the new direct route aims to make travel significantly easier for Australia’s sizable Sri Lankan diaspora—including over 200,000 residents of Sri Lankan heritage living in Victoria alone—while also encouraging increased tourism from Australia and New Zealand.
The added capacity aligns with Sri Lanka’s broader strategy to expand international flight networks and drive economic growth through destination tourism in key source markets.
