Jetstar To Start Australia's First Low-Cost Direct Flight To Sri Lanka

(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette) Jetstar will launch the first direct low-cost flights between Australia and Sri Lanka next year, announcing a new Melbourne to Colombo service set to begin on 25 August 2026. The airline will become the first Australian carrier to operate the route, offering three flights a week and more than 100,000 low-fare seats annually as it strengthens links with one of South Asia's rapidly growing destinations.

The year-round service will be operated by Jetstar's fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are undergoing a major upgrade from early 2025. The refurbished aircraft will feature expanded business class cabins, onboard Wi-Fi for passengers to stream entertainment to their own devices, and enhanced interiors aimed at improving comfort on long-haul flights. The Dreamliners will also include new lie-flat crew rest facilities that will allow flights of up to 16 hours and create opportunities for further long-haul expansion. The first upgraded aircraft is expected to arrive in Melbourne by late March 2026.

Jetstar has placed the new service on sale at midday (AEDT) of 08th December, with a 24-hour Route Launch Sale offering one-way fares starting at 315 dollars between Melbourne and Colombo. The announcement comes during what the airline describes as one of its strongest periods of growth in its 22-year history. Over the past two years, Jetstar has launched 26 new routes and added 13 aircraft to its fleet, including 14 new services announced this year alone, nine of them international. The carrier is also marking a decade of domestic operations from Melbourne Airport's Terminal 4, through which more than 50 million passengers have travelled since its opening.

The new Colombo route is being introduced ahead of Jetstar's busiest holiday season on record. The airline expects to carry almost six million passengers across its Australian, New Zealand, Japanese and broader international networks over December and January, including a record 1.7 million travelers passing through Melbourne during the summer peak.

Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully said the route would give Australians an affordable and direct connection to Sri Lanka. She described Colombo as an incredible destination and said the new service forms part of a broader expansion of the airline's international network as it adds more destinations and aircraft to meet growing demand.

Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus also welcomed the announcement, noting that Sri Lanka will become Jetstar's 10th international destination from Melbourne. She said the additional flights would give Victorian travellers more opportunities to explore the region or visit family overseas, adding that the milestone aligns with the airport's celebration of 10 years of Terminal 4 operations.

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