Colombo Airport

Not Verified | Colombo International airport is a joke. Never had such a horrific experience as a tourist on an international flight. This airport is notorious for ripping you off and charging unconventional baggage fees for carrying a personal item, such as a purse or even food. They weighed our food and charged me over $100 for my purse and food. They even wanted to wear my jacket that I was wearing. I do not recommend this airport, and they are notorious for treating tourist like this, as I was advised when I landed in the Maldives. Sri Lanka in general is a phenomenal country with amazing people.

✅ Trip Verified | I had 2 long transits through Colombo airport on the way to Jakarta from Mumbai. I got an amazing deal but this meant two long layovers at Colombo which I initially thought would be alright. However, this feels like an airport which has not been updated for ever and ever. The transit area is just a long corridor along the gate holding areas with a limited number of steel chairs and hardly any charging points. The F&B options are also very limited, anything longer than a 1-2 hour layover would be awful. I had a 6-7 hour layover both ways but thankfully Priority Pass gets you access to the Lotus Lounge which is comfortable enough to spend some time (they give you upto a 6 hour wait at the lounge on a single entry). The food service and the beverages at the lounge are quite good though and there are enough seats to get comfortable in. Unfortunately charging points are limited but atleast there are enough to manage, as long as the lounge is not too crowded.

✅ Trip Verified | Everything here is slow, disorganised and so old fashioned. It’s like they don’t care about bringing this airport up to date. Lines are long, staff are slow, inefficiency all round. In the toilet is a sign saying toilets are free. Didn’t stop a cleaner asking me for money. The room after yet another security check you wait to board is inadequate - poor ventilation, not enough seats, no water, no toilets, no communication re delay, nothing. For a country known for hospitality, this airport has none. I can’t recall a worse airport. Sad really.

✅ Trip Verified |  Airport is badly organised and incompetent. Delayed flight but no information what to do. Bag drop was 1 desk and took hours for small number of passengers. Refused to respect our bought and paid for extra leg room seats. Restaurants very limited. Wifi not functional. Toilets filthy. Not enough seating. Security xray scanning a joke.

✅ Trip Verified | What a hot mess. Arriving at 2am there were hundreds waiting for immigration clearance. No real lines, no one to supervise the pushing and shoving. They opened another counter but instead of maybe choosing families and elderly the young pushed through. Took nearly two hours to get kerbside and we had all paperwork in order. They need someone at immigration to control lines and make it fair for all, instead of the free for all it is.

Not Verified | I will never go to Sri Lanka again after dealing with this airport. Forced on to a 12 hour flight with no water, with no warning we had to go through security again at the gate where they take the water you bought for the flight. We were then left in a gate waiting room with no access to water or toilets for several hours, during which time the flight was repeatedly delayed with no announcements being made to customers. Trying to get through the airport is chaos from the moment you arrive. The bizarre check in structure has several additional steps than the standard airport and an unclear order. Lack of signage or staff to help get everyone in the right queue. Lengthy queue’s spiral around the lobby with no structure and move painfully slow. The food and drink prices in the airport are obscene. Wifi doesn’t work. There is nothing good about this airport. Dismal end to a beautiful holiday.

✅ Trip Verified | Frequented CMB many times in the last decade and on the whole its ok. It runs pretty smoothly and in fact has improved over the years, the immigration particularly seems quicker. I do however hate the exorbitant dollar priced food/drink and duty free etc. The contrast between what this cost just outside the door or the airport and the terminal prices must be one of the biggest contrasts in the world. That said its a pretty painless experience to pass through.

✅ Trip Verified | First of all they asked me to take off belt, shoe, jacket. There was two lines, when I entered through metel detector no one even checked me on the other side. They were only checking the selected people. After the security screening comes a big shock. Right before where I show my boarding pass comes a person asking for my passport and boarding pass. He then began looking at the pages of my passport as if it was fake. He then demanded my college name, my postal address, how many times I have been to the destination country. As if I was illegally trying to enter Srilanka. While all I was doing was transiting in that airport. After all the hassle, right before the gate of plane a police again asked me to open all my luggage. I had never experienced this in some of the most advanced and far developed countries. No sense of customer service, sympathy.

✅ Trip Verified | Airport staff were rude did not listen to customers. Weak WIFI, no information Center, lack of communication skills. No assistance for families who had kids. My transit was for 9hrs so I had booked hotel for one stay. On the arrival, they queue us in transport services for the hotel booking. After that they told us to go to immigration, when we reached there they told us to fill up on arrival card. After fill up the arrival card the line was long have to wait for 20 minutes. On that section they just checked passport number and told us to go in Visa on arrival section. After the queue of 30-45 minutes, they informed us they don't give visa on arrival for Nepal and apply for online visa. I had applied for online visa and came to know that it took 24 hrs for the Visa. And I had roaming around for 2 hrs and end up with no hotel booking. I was by myself and adult still stressed but there was some people travelling with kids and did not get any assistance from staff.

✅ Trip Verified | The WiFi is often weak or there is no connectivity at all. I wish someone in charge would get it fixed. Many passengers agree with me on this matter. A good WiFi is imperative for those traveling through any airport!