Global charter · 24 / 7 · Email support vip@jetalto.com
Sri Lanka · Private aviation

Private Jet Charter to Sri Lanka

Two Colombo airports handle private aviation. Bandaranaike International (CMB) is the main gateway, 32 km north of the city on a 3,350 m runway. Ratmalana (RML), 15 minutes from central Colombo, handles smaller jets and helicopters. Direct helicopter and turboprop transfers reach Galle, Kandy, Yala and the Cultural Triangle in 20-45 minutes. Operator quotes in 15 minutes.

Get a private jet charter quote

Instant estimate from Colombo. No email required to see the price.

Bandaranaike International handled 10.4 million passengers in 2024, up 24% year on year, on a 3,350 m primary runway with a dedicated Business Aviation Terminal (BAT) processing private arrivals separately from the main commercial terminal.

Where you can depart

Colombo private-jet airports

We charter from every business-aviation airport in the Colombo area. Choose the right one for your route, aircraft, and ground plans.

Colombo CMB
CMB
Bandaranaike International Airport
VCBI
Katunayake, 32 km north of central Colombo; 45-60 min road, or 15-25 min helicopter, to city hotels and the coast
Runway
3,350 m
Operating hours
24/7
Best for
Light · Midsize · Super-mid · Heavy · Ultra-long

Primary runway 04/22 at 3,350 m. Second runway 04R/22L at 3,350 m opened in 2019. The Business Aviation Terminal (BAT), commissioned in 2016, sits on the east side with private customs and immigration desks, dedicated lounges and direct apron access. Onward transfers leave from the adjacent domestic apron (Cinnamon Air, FitsAir) or the helicopter pad (Helitours, Simplifly).

Charter from CMB →
RML
Ratmalana Airport
VCCC
Ratmalana, 15 min south of central Colombo; the city airport used by domestic and light-jet traffic
Runway
1,900 m
Operating hours
06:00-18:00 published; extended on request
Best for
Light · Midsize · Helicopter

Runway 04/22 at 1,900 m. Suitable for light and midsize jets and the short-hop turboprops (Cessna Grand Caravan, DHC-6) that connect to Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Jaffna and Koggala. Heavy jets and ultra-long-range types cannot operate from RML; use CMB instead. Preferred by passengers heading directly to the city.

Charter from RML →
Popular routes

Frequently chartered from Colombo

Indicative one-way pricing on the most-flown corridors. Real quotes vary with aircraft availability, empty-legs, and airport fees.

Colombo Dubai
Heavy 4h 30m
From $55,000 – $78,000

Nonstop across the Arabian Sea.
Colombo Singapore
Super-mid 3h 30m
From $42,000 – $58,000

Nonstop over the Bay of Bengal.
Colombo Mumbai
Midsize 2h 15m
From $28,000 – $38,000

Direct north-west.
Colombo Male
Light 1h 15m
From $15,000 – $22,000

One-hour hop across the Indian Ocean.
Colombo London
Ultra-long 10h 00m
From $118,000 – $155,000

Nonstop westbound.
Colombo Bangkok
Midsize 3h 15m
From $38,000 – $52,000

Nonstop across the Andaman Sea.
Which aircraft, from where

Aircraft options from Colombo

The right jet is the one that fits your route, your passengers, and your ground plans. Here's how the classes stack up for Colombo departures.

Pilatus PC-12 turboprop parked on an alpine airstrip Turboprop

Short strips, remote runways

Ideal for regional legs, unpaved strips, and mountain airfields where a jet cannot land.

Rangeup to 2 hr · 1,900 km
Max passengers8
Pilatus PC-12, King Air 350
from €1,900/hr
See details Book now
Embraer Phenom 300 light jet on approach Light jet

Short-hop & regional

Ideal for hops across Europe or short domestic US routes. Two-hour range, seven-seat cabin.

Rangeup to 3 hr · 2,700 km
Max passengers7
Phenom 300, Citation CJ3+
from €3,800/hr
See details Book now
Cessna Citation Latitude midsize jet in flight Midsize jet

Stand-up cabin, longer legs

Stand-up cabin, real luggage capacity, transcontinental US-capable.

Rangeup to 5 hr · 4,600 km
Max passengers9
Citation Latitude, Praetor 600
from €5,400/hr
See details Book now
Bombardier Challenger 350 super-midsize jet on the ramp Super-midsize

Transcontinental range

Coast-to-coast US or London to Dubai without a fuel stop, at Mach 0.83.

Rangeup to 7 hr · 6,500 km
Max passengers10
Challenger 350, Longitude
from €7,200/hr
See details Book now
Gulfstream G550 heavy jet on final approach Heavy jet

Full galley, private stateroom

Wide cabin, full galley, forward and aft lavatories, up to 16 seats in club configuration.

Rangeup to 12 hr · 11,000 km
Max passengers14
Gulfstream G550, Global 6000
from €11,800/hr
See details Book now
Gulfstream G650ER ultra-long-range jet climbing out Ultra-long-range

Global, non-stop

Non-stop New York to Sydney, Dubai to Los Angeles, London to Buenos Aires — real staterooms, standing shower on select tails.

Rangeup to 15 hr · 14,000 km
Max passengers16
Gulfstream G650ER, Global 7500
from €14,900/hr
See details Book now
All-in pricing

What the quote includes, and what it doesn't

Every quote we issue is fully-loaded: block time, crew, fuel, standard catering, and handling. These are the exceptions where extras apply.

Included in every quote

  • Aircraft charter on block time, from block-off to block-on
  • Flight crew, including duty and rest costs
  • Fuel and standard handling at CMB (or RML) and the origin airport
  • In-flight catering to your specification
  • Standard Business Aviation Terminal use at CMB
  • Onboard Wi-Fi where the aircraft is equipped
  • Passenger and baggage handling
  • One-way pricing (no minimum charter days)

Charged separately (when they apply)

  • Sri Lanka landing and overflight permits for foreign-registered aircraft, arranged by your operator
  • Sri Lanka Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for passengers
  • Helicopter, turboprop or road transfer to your destination in-country
  • Extended parking at CMB (usually feasible)
  • Local departure taxes and passenger service charges
  • Cabin crew gratuities
Chartering from Colombo

What to know before you book

Empty legs

Repositioning flights from Colombo

Sri Lanka is a mixed market: some Colombo departures are city-to-city business, some are leisure to Galle, Kandy or Yala, and some are onward hops to the Maldives. That produces steady empty-leg inventory Dubai-CMB, Singapore-CMB, Mumbai-CMB and Male-CMB year-round. European winter escape (November to March) plus Christmas and New Year add the deepest windows. Flexible dates typically cut 30-50% off an on-demand quote.

Ask for empty-leg alerts →

Add your preferred route and dates in the request form. We'll monitor live empty-leg inventory for you and email as matches appear.

FAQ

Charter from Colombo, questions we get

Are there private jet terminals in Colombo?
Yes. Bandaranaike International (CMB) has a Business Aviation Terminal (BAT) on the east side, commissioned in 2016, with private customs and immigration desks, dedicated lounges and direct apron access. Ratmalana (RML), the city airport 15 minutes from central Colombo, handles light and midsize jets and helicopters with its own general-aviation apron.
How long are the runways at CMB and RML?
CMB has two runways at 3,350 m (primary 04/22 and 04R/22L opened 2019), which supports every business jet class including ultra-long-range at maximum takeoff weight. RML has a single 1,900 m runway suitable for light and midsize jets only.
Which cities are nonstop by private jet to Colombo?
Ultra-long-range aircraft fly nonstop from London (10h), Zurich, Geneva, Moscow, Sydney, Melbourne and Los Angeles. Heavy jets do Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Jakarta nonstop. Super-mid handles Singapore, Hong Kong and the Gulf. Midsize covers India and Southeast Asia.
How do we get from CMB to Galle, Kandy or the safari camps?
Three options. Helicopter (Helitours or Simplifly) is fastest for Galle (25 min), Kandy (35 min), Yala (50 min) and Sigiriya. Turboprop (Cinnamon Air or FitsAir) reaches Koggala, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Jaffna from CMB or RML. Road transfer to Galle is 90-120 minutes on the E01 expressway, and to Kandy 3-4 hours.
Do we need a visa for Sri Lanka?
Yes. All visitors need the Sri Lanka ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization), pre-arranged online before departure. It cannot be issued at the airport. JetAlto briefs passengers and can facilitate the application.
Can CMB operate 24 hours?
Yes. Bandaranaike International operates 24/7 with no formal night-hours restrictions. Ratmalana publishes 06:00-18:00 with extension on request.
When are empty legs available?
Steady inventory Dubai-CMB, Singapore-CMB, Mumbai-CMB, Male-CMB year-round. European winter escape (November to March), plus Christmas and New Year, add the deepest empty-leg windows. Ask JetAlto for live inventory once your dates are firm.
How much does a Dubai to Colombo charter cost?
Heavy jet (Challenger 650, Falcon 2000LXS, G450) runs $55,000 to $78,000 one-way for 4h 30m block time. Ultra-long-range for continuation or larger groups $85,000 upward. Empty-leg positioning can cut those figures 30-50%.
Market notes

On chartering from Colombo

Colombo is unusual for a South Asian gateway in that it has two airports actively handling private aviation. Bandaranaike International (CMB) is the main gateway with two 3,350 m runways and a purpose-built Business Aviation Terminal on the east side, commissioned in 2016 and handling private arrivals separately from the commercial terminal. Ratmalana (RML), 15 minutes from central Colombo, handles light and midsize jets on a 1,900 m runway with its own general-aviation apron.

The airport handled 10.4 million passengers in 2024, up 24% year on year as post-pandemic tourism traffic normalized. Parking at CMB is more relaxed than at Male or Mahé and a two-week stay is normally feasible without repositioning, which changes the economics of a longer trip.

Colombo is nonstop territory for ultra-long-range aircraft from London (about 10h), Zurich, Geneva, Moscow, Sydney, Melbourne and Los Angeles year-round. Heavy jets handle Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Jakarta nonstop. Super-midsize covers Singapore, Hong Kong and the Gulf. Midsize covers India and Southeast Asia. The 1h 15m hop across to Male is one of the most popular light-jet sectors in the region.

The single administrative item to remember is the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization), which must be pre-arranged online. It cannot be issued at the airport. JetAlto briefs every passenger on this before departure. The transfer picture is comfortable: Galle is 25 minutes by helicopter or 90-120 minutes on the E01 expressway; Kandy is 35 minutes by helicopter or 3-4 hours by road. Both are workable for evening arrivals.

Ready to fly to Sri Lanka?

Get an instant price estimate for any route into CMB or RML, then a hand-picked operator quote in 15 minutes. No obligation.

Get my instant estimate