Australian budget airline Jetstar Airways begins direct flights between Melbourne and Colombo tomorrow, marking its first service to Sri Lanka with three weekly departures.

Jetstar Airways will commence direct air service between Melbourne and Colombo tomorrow, establishing the Australian carrier's initial presence in Sri Lanka. The inaugural flight JQ5 is scheduled to depart Melbourne at noon, with arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport projected for 5:50 pm local time. The return service, designated JQ6, will leave Colombo at 7:50 pm and reach Melbourne the following morning at 10:00 am.

The route will operate on a three-times-weekly schedule, with flights departing on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Jetstar will deploy Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft for the service, which the airline claims represents Australia's sole low-cost direct connection to Sri Lanka. According to Jetstar, the route is expected to provide over 100,000 seats annually between the two destinations.

The airline has positioned the new service as a means to offer competitive pricing for travellers while simultaneously boosting tourism and addressing rising travel demand between Australia and Sri Lanka. Hayleys Aviation has been appointed as Jetstar's General Sales Agent in Sri Lanka, taking responsibility for local sales and customer service operations.