British Airways announces return to Sri Lanka as part of major winter 2026 network expansion

17 March 2026, Colombo, Sri Lanka : British Airways is returning to Sri Lanka for the first time since 2015, reopening a key route to the UK and wider global network, and giving customers more choice and greater connectivity.

Available to book from today, the three-times weekly flights will commence from 23 October 2026, operated by the airline’s Boeing 777 fleet, with a three-class configuration in Club World (long-haul business class), World Traveller Plus (long-haul premium economy) and World Traveller (long-haul economy) cabin.

British Airways is offering return fares from USD 870 in World Traveller and USD 3765 in Club World.

Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Chief Planning and Strategy Officer, said: 

“We’re delighted to announce sizeable growth to our flying schedule for winter 2026, including our long-awaited return to Colombo in Sri Lanka, which I am confident will prove popular with our customers. 

“For many of our customers in Sri Lanka, this restart opens the door for reconnecting with loved ones, travelling for business or planning a holiday to the UK and beyond. We look forward to welcoming our customers back on board very soon.”

The airline is set to grow its long-haul network by nine per cent by the end of 2026*, with new routes and frequency additions across the wider Africa and Asia-Pacific region.

The airline will be adding more flights for winter to Cape Town (South Africa) and Tokyo (Japan).

In addition to the planned growth for winter 2026, British Airways has also introduced seven additional services from Bangkok and Singapore to London over recent weeks, to meet rising demand for these routes as a result of the situation in the Middle East.

The airline has added more than 3,300 extra seats between 10 and 19 March for customers travelling to and from these destinations and continues to monitor its network closely to make adjustments based on where customers want to fly.

British Airways has extended the temporary reduction in flights to the region, with flights from Amman, Bahrain, Dubai and Tel Aviv cancelled up to and including 31 May, and flights from Doha cancelled until 30 April.

The airline is continuing to invest more than £5 billion in its customer experience over the next five years, including onboard products and services.

This investment will see British Airways customers benefiting from new aircraft, refreshed cabin interiors and a brand-new First seat.