Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport

CMB VCBI  Colombo, LK

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CMB at a glance

  • What it is: Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport is a regional airport serving Colombo, LK.
  • Codes: CMB on your ticket, VCBI on the radar.
  • Size: 1 runway at 30 ft above sea level.
  • Local time zone: Asia/Colombo (UTC+5:30), so every time shown for CMB is local rather than UTC.
1
Runways
30 ft
Field elevation

About Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport

Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport lies in the tropics at 7.18° N, 79.88° E, on Asia/Colombo time (UTC+5:30). Tropical airports contend with heat and humidity, both of which thin the air and lengthen takeoff runs, and with convective storms that build fast in the afternoon.

Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport has 1 runway. The longest, 04/22, measures 10,991 ft by 148 ft, which puts the field in the long-haul capable category: widebodies operate comfortably, though the very longest sectors may need a payload trade. The surface is asphalt. It is lit for night operations.

Runway 04/22 is aligned roughly north-east/south-west, which is the clearest hint you get about the prevailing wind here: runways are built to face the wind that blows most often, because aircraft take off and land into it. Every runway here shares that north-east/south-west alignment, so a strong crosswind means a crosswind landing rather than a switch to another strip.

Runways at CMB

RunwayLengthWidthSurfaceLighting
04/22 10,991 ft (3,350 m) 148 ft Asphalt Lit

Runway numbers are the magnetic heading rounded to ten degrees, which is why they change when the magnetic field drifts - runway numbers explained.

IATA / ICAO
CMB / VCBI
Location
Colombo, LK 7.181, 79.884
Time zone
Asia/Colombo
Opened

Nearby and related airports

Geographically close airports and useful alternatives in LK.

More airports and guides connected to CMB

How a field like this runs day to day is covered in how airports work. The codes CMB and VCBI are explained in airport codes decoded.

Data sources and review

Reviewed 2026-07-29 by Flight-Tracker.net Editorial Team

This profile is generated from the airport's published coordinates, elevation and runway records. It does not claim live terminal or passenger totals.

Read our airport data sourcing and review process, or inspect the machine-readable reference dataset.

Frequently asked questions about CMB

What is the airport code for Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport?

Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport uses the IATA code CMB on tickets and baggage tags, and the ICAO code VCBI in flight plans and on radar. The leading “V” in VCBI is the region marker: ICAO codes are grouped geographically, which is why airports near each other usually share their first letter or two while their IATA codes look unrelated.

How many runways does CMB have?

Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport operates 1 runway. The field sits at 30 ft above sea level.

What time zone is CMB in?

Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport operates on Asia/Colombo local time. Scheduled departure and arrival times for this airport are always published in local time, not UTC.

Can I track flights at CMB live?

Yes. The map on this page shows every aircraft broadcasting its position within about 55 km of Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport. The boards split them into departures, arrivals and traffic passing overhead, all timed in Asia/Colombo.