This is third daily direct flight by Emirates which also operates a flight via Malé in Maldives
Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has announced the launch of an additional scheduled service between Colombo and Dubai, starting from January 2, 2025.
In a press statement, Emirates says that the newly-introduced flight, to operate as EK654/655, increases the seat capacity on the route by 30 pc and supports Sri Lanka’s plans to considerably increase tourist arrivals in 2025.
The announcement of the additional service is fortuituous for Sri Lanka as it coincides with the peak tourist season and additional capacity will likely attract tourists to the Emerald Island in greater numbers.
The additional service will operate six times a week until March 31, 2025. According to the statement, flight EK-654 will depart Dubai International Airport (DXB) at 10:05 every day except Wednesdays arriving in Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), at 16:00. The return flight, EK655 will depart from Colombo at 22:05 and reach Dubai at 01:05 the following day. From April 1, 2025, a seventh weekly flight on Wednesdays will operate with an adjusted departure time of 22:05, arriving in Dubai at 00:55 while the return flight from will depart Dubai at 13:20 to arrive in Colombo at 19:15.
Emirates says that the additional flight can accommodate up to 360 passengers, with 8 suites in First Class, 42 Business Class and 310 Economy Class seats, offering a premium customer experience while enhancing convenience and choice with an expanded flight schedule. Emirates currently operates two direct fights between Colombo and Dubai and a third daily service via Male.
The airline says that Emirates and Sri Lanka Tourism share a long-standing strategic partnership, collaborating on initiatives and programmes designed to boost tourism to Sri Lanka by showcasing the destination to customers across its global network. Sri Lanka Tourism recently announced its vision to appeal to eco-conscious travellers by highlighting the island’s rich natural and cultural resources. Furthermore, with the boost in capacity on the Colombo-Dubai route, Emirates will contribute to achieving the country’s tourism targets of attracting 3 million visitors by 2025.
Emirates says it began operations to Sri Lanka in April 1986 and has consistently supported the country’s tourism and export industries with passenger and cargo services. The airline has carried more than 12 million passengers to and from Colombo since operations began. With the four daily flights, the airline will offer more than 2,800 seats daily on the service operating between Colombo and Dubai with the capacity to carry up to 160 tonnes of cargo on the same flights.