At a glance
- Direct flights
- None. Expect at least one stop.
- Route code
- CMB to AKL (Colombo to Auckland)
- Typical journey
- Often more than a day door to door, depending on the connection
- Usual stopovers
- Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, an Australian city or a Gulf hub
- Often booked for
- Parents and relatives visiting, weddings, new babies and returns after New Year at home
- Usually busy
- April, around Sinhala and Tamil New Year, and the Christmas holidays
- Departure airport
- Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), Katunayake
Booking Colombo to Auckland from New Zealand
This is usually a family booking: someone settled in New Zealand arranging the journey for a parent, an aunt or a cousin who is still in Sri Lanka, whether for a long stay, a wedding or a new grandchild. Our Auckland office arranges it, and we walk through the change and refund rules before you pay.
Send us the name exactly as printed in the passport, the dates you have in mind and roughly how much luggage will travel. If this is a first long-haul flight, or the traveller is elderly, say so and we’ll ask the airline about assistance.
New Year, Vesak and Christmas
Many families gather in April for Sinhala and Tamil New Year and again for Vesak in May, and Christmas is another peak. If your parents want to join you for the New Zealand summer, flights from December to February also fill early. Tell us your window and we’ll show what a few days either side does to the price.
Getting to the airport
Bandaranaike International Airport is at Katunayake, roughly an hour north of central Colombo by road, and longer in heavy traffic. Relatives from Kandy, Galle, Jaffna or other towns may be several hours away, so plan the road transfer and an early check-in, particularly for an older traveller.
Tea, spices and New Zealand biosecurity
Tea, spices, treacle, dried fish and sweets are popular gifts, but New Zealand’s biosecurity rules are strict: declare all food, plants and animal products on arrival, and some items are not allowed in. Check the Ministry for Primary Industries website before packing. Sri Lankan passport holders also generally need a New Zealand visitor visa, so confirm the timeline before paying for a ticket that cannot be changed.
Airlines on this route
Airlines commonly used between Sri Lanka and New Zealand include Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Qantas and Gulf carriers, usually combined with a connecting carrier. What is available changes by date, so we check them for you.
