--- iata: CMB name: Bandaranaike International Airport city: Colombo country: Sri Lanka lastUpdated: '2026-09-07' officialWebsite: 'https://www.airport.lk/' sources: - 'https://www.airport.lk/' - 'https://www.airport.lk/passenger_guide/getting_arround/taxi_service' - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandaranaike_International_Airport' - >- https://www.newswire.lk/2026/07/15/how-busy-was-sri-lanka-airport-in-first-6-months-of-2026/ - >- https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/BIA-handles-4-7-million-passengers-in-first-half-of-2026/108-345678 - >- https://aviationvoice.lk/187-airport-colombo-fort-luxury-bus-service-resumes-access-to-bia/ - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/sri-lanka/colombo-bandaranaike-intl - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/sri-lanka/colombo-bandaranaike-intl/cmb-palm-strip-lounge - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/sri-lanka/colombo-bandaranaike-intl/col-lotus-first-class-lounge - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/sri-lanka/colombo-bandaranaike-intl/cmb1d-soo-ceylon-cafe-and-tea-lounge - 'https://www.srilankan.com/en_uk/flying-with-us/serendib-lounge' - 'https://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/' - >- https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/environmental-protection/State_Action_Plans/Sri-Lanka-State-Action-Plan.pdf quickFacts: - >- Bandaranaike International Airport (IATA CMB / ICAO VCBI) is Sri Lanka’s primary civil gateway at Katunayake / Negombo, ~32–35 km north of Colombo via the E03 Colombo–Katunayake Expressway. Operator is Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd (AASL). Passenger site: airport.lk. Do not confuse CMB with Mattala Rajapaksa (HRI / RMA) in Hambantota, Colombo Ratmalana (RML), or Jaffna (JAF). Passenger side is civilian; SLAF Katunayake shares the broader airfield complex. - >- Terminals: Terminal 1 (opened 1967) handles essentially all commercial international traffic today; Terminal 3 (opened Nov 2012) is the domestic terminal on the same campus; Terminal 2 (new international) construction was suspended in Apr 2022 during the economic crisis and is slated to resume around Nov 2026 under JICA support (~30 months after restart—treat as planning, not open). No sterile domestic↔international walk—plan a landside re-clear when connecting. - >- Traffic: Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka / Wikipedia table calendar 2024 — 8,804,019 passengers / 195,379 t freight / 55,848 movements. AASL/BIA mid-year and year statements: calendar 2025 — 10,214,391 passenger movements / 95,629 aircraft movements / 946,811 transit; H1 2026 (Jan–Jun) — 4,748,481 passengers / 30,659 movements / 424,856 transit. Prefer AASL/BIA and CAASL over older peak-year blurbs. - >- Single asphalt runway 04/22 ~3,350 m (landing distance; take-off declared ~3,441 m); elev ~26 ft / 8 m. Second-runway / long parallel plans exist in master planning but are not near-term passenger capacity relief—single-runway weather and peak banks still cascade. - >- Ground: no passenger rail into the terminal (Katunayake station is a separate transfer; Airport Express DMU not operating as of Apr 2024 reporting). Route 187 A/C Airport–Colombo Fort bus via E03 (AASL/RPTA; published ~LKR 290/person with extra ~LKR 290 for bags over 23 kg on the Jun 2025 relaunch notice—confirm live board), ~50 min, 24×7. AASL prepaid taxi counters in arrivals; PickMe / Uber signed curb. Expressway car toll commonly cited ~LKR 400 (confirm RDA). - >- Lounges (Sep 2026 Priority Pass directory): Palm Strip Lounge and Lotus First Class Lounge (airside soft rooms, 00:00–23:59) plus Soo Ceylon Café and Tea Lounge (landside PP Eat combo meal, not a soft lounge). Airline flagship: SriLankan Serendib Lounge (Business/First / oneworld cabin entitlement—not Priority Pass). AASL also markets paid Lotus / Araliya / Executive privilege products—confirm day-of desk rates. bentoTips: - label: Timing title: 'Budget expressway traffic + gate security, not just check-in' detail: >- Katunayake is ~32–35 km north via E03. Off-peak taxis/PickMe commonly do ~40–50 minutes; Colombo rush (roughly 07:30–09:30 and 16:30–19:00) plus mishit Negombo Road detours can stretch past 90 minutes. Long-haul departures want a full ~3 hours at the terminal; thin UL connections need extra buffer because security is frequently gate-local and bus gates R1–R5 add a ramp ride. summary: >- Leave Colombo early for evening banks; be at the gate 45–60 minutes before departure because CMB often screens again at the gate. category: timing - label: Terminal title: One international building today — T2 is not open yet detail: >- Ignore stale ‘Terminal 2 open’ marketing. T2 restart targets around Nov 2026 with a multi-year build—screenshot your boarding pass. Domestic↔international connections leave the sterile area. Bus gates R1–R5 sit on the ground floor and need more walking/time than bridge gates 6–14. summary: >- All international commercial flights use Terminal 1; domestic is Terminal 3 on the same campus with no sterile link. category: terminal - label: Food title: Use Palm Strip or Lotus before random airside markup detail: >- Palm Strip (max 3h; alcohol capped) and Lotus (max 6h; ~3.8/5 on PP) sit airside after passport/security on Level 1. Soo Ceylon is landside on the departure walkway—one visit entitlement buys a defined combo meal, then extras are cash. Without PP, buy sealed water/snacks landside and treat Ceylon tea/duty-free as the retail story, not gourmet dining. summary: >- Priority Pass soft rooms beat most QSRs; Soo Ceylon is a landside combo-meal burn, not an airside lounge. category: food - label: Status title: Single runway + recovery volumes = bank congestion detail: >- AASL posted 10.21M passenger movements in 2025 and 4,748,481 in Jan–Jun 2026 with ~425k transit. Infrastructure help (T2) is still years out after the 2022 pause. Monsoon weather and late-night UL/Gulf/Europe banks amplify queues at immigration, bag claim, and gate security. summary: >- H1 2026 already ~4.75M passengers on one runway and a 1967 international shell—expect peak crowding and reactionary delays. category: status lounges: - name: Palm Strip Lounge zone: >- Airside international departures after passport and security — escalator near Duty Free to 1st Floor, turn left ~20 m; lounge on the right (Priority Pass location text). hours: '00:00-23:59' access: - Priority Pass / LoungeKey / DragonPass (confirm live app) - Digital Priority Pass card accepted - Children under 3 admitted free on PP conditions bestFor: - Priority Pass holders on international departures - Short airside waits under the 3-hour stay cap summary: >- The reliable PP soft room for most UL / Gulf / Asia banks—24h listed hours, simple Level-1 find after Duty Free, hard 3-hour stay, and better value than random airside QSR when you have an entitlement. verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 1 amenities: - Air conditioning - >- Alcoholic drinks (standard; PP caps complimentary pours at four per adult then paid) - Flight information / newspapers - Wi-Fi (confirm day-of) - name: Lotus First Class Lounge zone: >- Airside after security and passport control — 1st Floor near Gates 6 and 7 (Priority Pass). hours: '00:00-23:59' access: - Priority Pass / LoungeKey / DragonPass (confirm live) - AASL paid / privilege walk-up when sold (confirm desk) - >- Children under 2 free on PP conditions; guests may incur per-person charges bestFor: - Longer Priority Pass stays (max 6 hours vs Palm Strip’s 3) - Gates 6–7 / upper pier departures summary: >- The stronger PP soft product when you need a longer dwell—live PP aggregate ~3.8/5 with 2,000+ reviews, 6-hour max stay, near Gates 6–7; still expect peak crowding and space-restriction cutoffs. verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 1 amenities: - 'Hot / cold buffet (traveler reports: South Asian + international basics)' - Alcoholic drinks (standard) - Air conditioning / flight information / magazines - Digital Priority Pass card accepted - name: Soo Ceylon Café and Tea Lounge zone: >- Landside — departure walkway entrance, near the end of the walkway passage on the left (Priority Pass Eat listing). Not airside after security. hours: '00:00-23:59' access: - >- Priority Pass Eat — one visit entitlement for defined Combo Meal (drink + main + side + dessert) - Same-day boarding pass required - Restaurant may refuse when seating is full bestFor: - Landside meal before check-in / security when you still have a PP visit - Travelers whose card programmes still allow restaurant experiences summary: >- This is a Priority Pass restaurant burn, not a soft lounge—useful landside for a fixed combo meal, useless once you are airside, and easy to waste if your issuer already dropped Eat venues. verdict: depends terminal: Terminal 1 amenities: - >- Combo meal (non-alcoholic drink; burger/sub/wrap/sandwich meal with side; dessert) - Ceylon tea focus - Air conditioning / soft drinks - Disabled access listed on PP - name: SriLankan Airlines Serendib Lounge zone: >- Airside international departures — first floor of the departure hall overlooking the apron (SriLankan Airlines; near the Gates 1–5 / bus-gate precinct per recent traveler reports). hours: '00:00-23:59' access: - >- SriLankan / oneworld First or Business Class on a same-day eligible flight (confirm UL / oneworld rules) - Not Priority Pass - >- Economy elite / Sapphire–Emerald access has historically been directed to secondary rooms when those are open—confirm UL desk day-of bestFor: - UL / oneworld Business and First passengers - Long UL connection banks when cabin-eligible summary: >- The airline flagship when your boarding pass is Business/First—open 24h, not on Priority Pass, and still the cleanest UL product versus paid AASL rooms; status-in-Y rules have moved between Serendib / Serenediva / Araliya historically, so trust the day-of UL agent over stale blogs. verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 1 amenities: - Buffet / soft seating - Business centre / Wi-Fi / print - Newspapers / TV area - Showers reported on some aggregator lists — confirm day-of - name: Araliya Lounge zone: >- Airside international departures — AASL privilege / paid lounge cluster (confirm live airport lounge signs and desk; historically paired with Lotus as a paid soft room). hours: Confirm desk day-of access: - >- AASL paid / privilege packages (Silk Route / Gold Route / walk-up — confirm current package) - >- Some oneworld status reports historically redirected here — confirm UL day-of - Not a Priority Pass soft room on the live Sep 2026 PP directory bestFor: - Paid walk-up when Palm Strip / Lotus are full or PP visits are exhausted - Meet-and-assist package travelers summary: >- Useful paid backup when AASL is selling day access, but it is not on the live Priority Pass soft-lounge list—price the desk quote against just eating landside before you buy. verdict: depends terminal: Terminal 1 amenities: - Soft seating / refreshments (confirm package) - Air conditioning waterOptions: - kind: purchase name: Landside sealed PET (retail / café walkway) zone: landside price: >- Commonly ~LKR 150–300 for 500 ml–1 L depending on brand — confirm shelf tag summary: >- Cheapest honest hydration plan: buy sealed water before you clear emigration/security; airside markups and lounge entitlement rules are worse value for most people. location: >- Landside departure walkway shops and Soo Ceylon / café precinct before check-in security terminal: Terminal 1 isBestValue: true - kind: purchase name: Airside duty-free / QSR sealed water zone: airside price: Typically higher than landside — confirm shelf tag summary: >- Acceptable backup once you are past security, but you already paid the landside premium by waiting—grab landside first when the timeline allows. location: >- Airside after passport control along the Duty Free / pier shops toward Gates 6–14 terminal: Terminal 1 - kind: free name: Palm Strip / Lotus lounge drinks zone: airside summary: >- Best quality pour when you already have lounge access—water/soft drinks with the entitlement; do not plan on public fountain density as CMB’s published strength. location: >- Palm Strip (Duty Free escalator Level 1) or Lotus (Level 1 near Gates 6–7) with a valid PP or paid entry terminal: Terminal 1 isBestQuality: true - kind: free name: Serendib Lounge drinks (cabin entitlement) zone: airside summary: >- UL cabin passengers should hydrate inside Serendib rather than buying airside PET; not available on Priority Pass. location: >- SriLankan Serendib Lounge, first-floor departure hall for eligible Business/First passengers terminal: Terminal 1 airportistScore: 6.7 slug: cmb region: Asia-Pacific --- > Markdown for [/airports/cmb](/airports/cmb). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/cmb) - [Lounge directory](/airports/cmb/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) Colombo, Sri Lanka · Asia-Pacific CMB is a straightforward single-international-terminal gateway with cheap expressway buses and usable Priority Pass rooms, traded against gate-level security, single-runway congestion, and an aging Terminal 1 still waiting on T2. ## Airportist Score **6.7 / 10** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 7.0 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 6.0 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 6.2 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 7.8 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 6.2 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 7.2 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: 10.2M (2025) - Terminals: T1 international + T3 domestic (T2 not open) - Typical security: 25 min - On-time: 72% - Disruption: minor ## Best for - SriLankan Airlines hub connections when you have lounge access - Budget travelers using Route 187 into Colombo Fort - Priority Pass holders who can sit in Palm Strip or Lotus - Beach-hotel arrivals heading straight to Negombo ## Watch out for - Gate-level secondary security and bus gates R1–R5 eating connection buffers - Single-runway weather and peak-bank crowding in Terminal 1 - Assuming Terminal 2 or Airport Express rail is open - Burning a Priority Pass visit on landside Soo Ceylon when you still need an airside soft room ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/cmb/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/cmb/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/cmb/amenities.md) - [Traveler tips](/airports/cmb/tips.md) - [Water](/airports/cmb/water.md) - [Full guide](/airports/cmb/guide.md) - [Disruptions](/airports/cmb/disruptions.md) - [Reviews](/airports/cmb/reviews.md)