Jetstar Airways inaugurated its first nonstop service between Melbourne Airport (MEL) and Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo (CMB) on August 25, 2026, becoming the first Australian airline to operate a direct route to Sri Lanka, according to the carrier's official newsroom.
The year-round service operates three times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Flight JQ5 departs Melbourne at 12:00 and arrives in Colombo at 17:50 local time; return flight JQ6 departs Colombo at 19:50 and lands in Melbourne at 10:00 the following morning. The route is operated by Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.
The launch adds more than 100,000 annual low-fare seats between Australia and Sri Lanka, according to Jetstar. More than 50% of Sri Lankan-born Australian residents live in Victoria, supporting strong visiting friends and relatives demand on the corridor. Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus described the service as "connecting people, not just places."
Sri Lankan tourism has been growing rapidly among Australians — Intrepid Travel reports Sri Lanka now ranks fifth among its Australian clients' most popular overseas destinations, up from sixth in 2025, per the Sydney Morning Herald. The route competes directly with SriLankan Airlines, which serves both Melbourne and Sydney from Colombo.
Aviation Week confirmed the inaugural and reported initial demand as strong.
Sources
- Jetstar Newsroom (inaugural)
- Jetstar Newsroom (launch announcement)
- Sydney Morning Herald / Traveller
- Aviation Week Routes & Networks
Sources & references (4)
Things to do at each end of the route
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