Kuwait Airways will begin direct flights between Kuwait City and Colombo from Wednesday, April 15, 2026, operating the route weekly, the national carrier announced on April 8.
The inbound service will depart Kuwait at 01:30 and arrive in Colombo at 18:05 local time. The return leg will depart Colombo at 19:05 and arrive in Kuwait at 03:30 the following morning.
Kuwait Airways is offering complimentary Saudi Arabia transit visas to eligible passengers holding valid Kuwaiti residency and a passport valid for at least six months, a benefit aimed at travellers connecting through the region. Trade bookings and passenger inquiries are being handled through the Colombo sales office at [email protected] and +94 77 275 6420.
The airline said the new service “is expected to strengthen air connectivity and provide greater travel opportunities between the two countries.”
The launch comes as the Middle East aviation market recalibrates after weeks of disruption caused by the US-Iran conflict, which had prompted several Gulf carriers to suspend or reroute services. The Pakistan-brokered US-Iran ceasefire announced on April 7 has reopened airspace along the Strait of Hormuz and allowed carriers to restore long-haul schedules.
Kuwait Airways is the second Middle East carrier to expand its Sri Lanka network this month. Turkish Airlines recently added frequencies on its Istanbul-Colombo route as travellers seek alternatives to Gulf-hub connections. The new service also comes as Sri Lanka courts higher arrivals from Gulf Cooperation Council states, where roughly 1.7 million Sri Lankan migrant workers are based.
