Colombo Airport

✅ Trip Verified | Travelled through this airport 6 times in the last 3 months and on the whole quite like it. The queues for immigration are reasonable both inward and outbound and the general environment is pleasant and cool. I didn't appreciate the multiple security checks, which I didn't feel were as thorough as at other airports. Surely one really good check is better than numerous (5?) cursory checks? It feels like a job creation scheme rather than a serious attempt at air safety. Some of the signing is terrible. Some entertainment can be had watching the numerous ladies fooled into going into the gents toilet by bad signage in the region of the departure gates. This apart it isn't a bad airport with pleasant staff.

✅ Trip Verified | Arrived from Singapore in the middle of the day, the airport was very quiet but they only have a few airbridges and we had to get a bus to the terminal. Immigration was fast - the staff are indeed very gruff but also fast and they took less than a minute to process my ETA, not even needing to look at the printout. I couldn’t see any toilets before immigration but there were some near the baggage carousels - fairly clean but obviously had some drainage problems that a worker was struggling to fix. Actually, the whole airport was a bit hot and humid. Luggage took half an hour to arrive despite the airport being very quiet. There were lots of staff in the baggage hall (maybe some could have gone to help bring the bags from the plane) but they were not at all aggressive. Customs is easy in the green lane - they pick just a few people to x-ray bags, seemingly targeting young men. The outside hall has ATMs, money changers, phone company stalls and taxi booking stands. Some hotels have stands and can organise transport (which I used) but a lot of foreigners were using the airport taxi rank so that shouldn’t be too bad. There were touts but they weren’t very bad. Departure for a midday flight was also ok. Baggage screening on entry but the queue was short (lots of people standing around outside looking they were queueing though - pass them if you can, if they were a group and you get stuck behind them, it would be a long wait). Then a walk through a shopping hall (last chance to change money) then another strange baggage check before check-in then emigration was fast, then there’s another security check before the gate - it was all fairly fast but the whole layout is bad and confusing and the signage is very poor. The main departure hall is large and has a lot of shops. Food outlets were very expensive (noticeably more than other airports and they prefer USD) and the food looked awful but the places are ok for a coffee. Toilets were clean although sometimes overcrowded. Poor announcements and notice boards so make sure to get the right gate yourself. Looks like you can get free wifi from a desk but the queues were long and I had a SIM to use up.

✅ Trip Verified | It is absurd that water that is bought at duty free cannot be taken on board a flight! There are so many check points which are completely un-necessary. The Immigration and Emigration staff need a course in smiling to visitors to this otherwise people friendly island.

✅ Trip Verified | The worst organised airport I've ever seen with the worst of the worst staff. Disorganized and inconsistent security checks, rude, unpleasant staff who can't be bothered to say anything to you when you talk to them, let alone say please or thank you. Crazy approach to gate security. Badly signed and poor flight info (final call used far too early).

❎ Not Verified | Very unorganized airport. It’s not very clean. They also do not even tell you if your flight is delayed. It only says check-in which means “wait” or update the screen. No guidance on transfer flights and no sense of urgency between flights. The check-in area gets overcrowded very fast and there isn’t no structure to the line.

✅ Verified Review | A relatively small airport, easy to move around, all gates not far to walk. One nice touch, my wife had left her iPad on the incoming plane. Within 10 minutes of being in the lounge the ground staff returned it to her before she realized it was missing, very good service. Would that happen at LHR? The same lady recognised my wife on our return trip and asked if everything was ok. One positive issue is how friendly the security staff were, did their job properly but with a smile and asking "how are you today" many of the security staff worldwide could learn how to treat the passengers as guests not as an another threat.

✅ Verified Review | After many years, nothing much has improved in this airport. It is not a huge airport by any standard, there seems to be insufficient staff at the immigration, long queues are far too often. The queue at the immigration upon departure was no better. Tedious security screening including removing one's shoes and belts. Almost the same shops at the airport for years, and the prices inflated terribly! Except for duty free, where you may hit a bargain. Avoid buying anything if you can at all the other shops, you will be paying through the nose especially for tea! Price is at least double to triple that from buying it downtown. I often believe, an airport is the gateway to a country, it says a lot about them in general. Colombo airport is very much in need of a facelift and complete updating of their facilities. For this reason, try to shorten your time as much as possible. This is one of those airport that makes you feel better off sitting in the plane and leave.

✅ Verified Review | It is a nice efficient airport, but quite old, the airport authority really tries hard to get the building passenger friendly, but again because the infrastructure is old, it does not add up to. Nonetheless, it is quite efficient, services are fast, it has got many check-in points, lots of staff on the ground and rather quick passport control zone. The waiting areas are small and not comfortable, as the airport is small. Duty free store does not resemble the feel of Colombo as fast developing mega-city. The security, while efficient, can be improved, particularly staff behave like military, not like a civil airport security. The lounges also quite dark, not welcoming, furnished with rather old chairs/furniture. Food selection in lounges is mediocre. Better eat something before heading to the airport, there is literally no place to grab something, except Coffee Beans and Tea Leaf, which charges super high prices. Overall, it is a good airport, but badly needs a decent overhaul.

✅ Verified Review | Arrived late evening at the same time as a number of other scheduled arrivals. No queue at immigration, very pleasant and welcoming immigration officer, straight down to luggage hall where the bags were already being delivered. Into arrivals hall where you can quickly organise taxi to city and avoid the taxi touts waiting outside. From aircraft door to kerbside only 15 minutes. Checking into city hotel within one hour of landing. Very impressed.

✅ Verified Review | Endless queues for many Xray check (3 or 4 times), immigration, check in, boarding. Impolite and useless people in uniform in the hall. At immigration counter, the officer was talking with a colleague all the time I was in the line: when I passed, no hello, no thank you - still continued to talk. Duty free accept only USD. Must go in small shops for spending out Sri Lankan currency. I will not keep a good souvenir of this airport and be reluctant to come again.