From temples to turquoise waters: new British Airways services connect London Gatwick with Sri Lanka and Barbados
- British Airways will now fly direct from London Gatwick to Colombo, Sri Lanka three times per week and to Bridgetown, Barbados daily throughout the winter season
- The new services mean London Gatwick will offer passengers 14 additional weekly flights to Asia this winter compared with 2025
- The new Bridgetown route will continue into summer 2027, almost doubling London Gatwick’s services to Barbados from last winter
London Gatwick has welcomed the launch of a new direct service to Colombo with British Airways, further strengthening the airport’s connectivity with Asia.
This new route to Sri Lanka’s largest city will operate three times per week throughout the winter season, starting on Friday 23 October, and offers passengers a direct service from London Gatwick to Sri Lanka.
Colombo offers visitors the chance to immerse themselves in Sri Lanka’s rich culture, renowned cuisine and vibrant street life, while serving as a gateway to the island’s stunning beaches, wildlife and UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The launch of this new route further strengthens London Gatwick’s growing network across Asia, with weekly flights to the region increasing by 22% compared with last winter.
In addition, British Airways is restarting a direct service to Barbados capital Bridgetown. Running daily, the route will begin on Sunday 25 October and continue into the 2027 summer season.
This additional route will bring weekly services from London Gatwick to Bridgetown to 14, almost double from last winter, delivering greater flexibility and convenience for passengers travelling to Barbados and the wider Caribbean.
Jonny Macneal, Head of Aviation Development, London Gatwick said: “We’re delighted that British Airways is expanding its long-haul operation at London Gatwick, offering our passengers even greater choice of destinations this winter.
“These direct services to Columbo and Bridgetown are fantastic additions to our extensive long-haul network, strengthening our connections to the wider Asia region and boosting our existing connectivity to Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean.”
Neil Chernoff, Chief Planning and Strategy Officer at British Airways, said: “London Gatwick is an important part of our network, and we’re pleased to offer customers even more choice with new direct services to Colombo and Bridgetown. Whether they are looking to experience Sri Lanka’s rich culture and natural beauty or enjoy the warmth of Barbados, these routes open up two fantastic destinations for a winter escape. We look forward to welcoming customers on board.”
These new routes further strengthen London Gatwick’s long-haul network, providing passengers with greater opportunity to escape the UK’s colder months and chase the winter sun in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean.
With around 43m annual passengers, London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest and one of Europe’s top airports. It is a vital piece of national infrastructure that drives both the national and regional economies by generating £5.5bn GVA and supporting over 76,000 jobs (2023). More than 60 airlines fly from the airport to over 160 short-haul and more than 50 long-haul destinations. With a declared maximum capacity of 57 movements an hour, London Gatwick is the most efficient single runway airport in the world.
The airport is located 28 miles south of the UK capital and is extremely well-connected, with more than a quarter of England’s population (15m people) – including all of London – less than one hour away by road or rail. A six-year, £2bn sustainable growth programme includes an ambitious plan to be a net zero airport by 2030 and to increase capacity by bringing the airport’s existing Northern Runway into routine use, alongside its Main Runway. VINCI Airports owns a 50.01% stake in the airport, with Global Infrastructure Partners managing the remaining 49.99%.
VINCI Airports, as the leading private airport operator in the world, manages the development and operation of more than 70 airports located in 14 countries. VINCI Airports draws on its expertise as a comprehensive integrator to develop, finance, build and operate airports, leveraging its investment capability and know-how to optimise operational performance and modernise infrastructure while bringing about their environmental transition. In 2016, VINCI Airports became the first airport operator to commit to an international environmental strategy, setting itself the aim of reaching zero net emissions (scope 1 and 2) across the network by 2050 while supporting the territories’ local climate transition.
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