Melbourne to Colombo (MEL–CMB) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

MEL Airport Page →
5,194 mi airlines 7/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 1 flight Verified 4h ago
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  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
ET4252
ET Ethiopian
333
5:25 PM
AEDT T2
10:20 PM
+0530
10h 25m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP
2-STOP Loading...
Melbourne to Colombo
1 carrier, 7 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 7 Flights/wk 5,194 mi 10h 25m nonstop -5.5h behind 10 1-stop hubs

MEL–CMB is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. Ethiopian Airlines leads the route. The flight covers 5,194 miles in approximately 10h 25m. Beyond nonstop, 10 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop MEL–CMB service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
ET Ethiopian Airlines 7 333 10h25 Star Alliance
Aircraft on this route
333 Airbus A330-300 – ET
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: ET (7 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, MEL to CMB direction.
Mon
1
flight
Tue
1
flight
Wed
1
flight
Thu
1
flight
Fri
1
flight
Sat
1
flight
Sun
1
flight
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
1
Nonstop flights
7
Outbound / wk
0
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for MEL to CMB.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
10
Hubs
~20h
Fastest
~37h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
447
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-5.5h
Colombo is 5.5 hours behind Melbourne.
MEL: AEDT · CMB: +0530

When it's 6:00 PM in Melbourne, it's 0.5:00 PM in Colombo.
Distance & Flight Time
5,194 mi / 8,358 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 10h 25m.
Getting to MEL

No train connection exists; the Melbourne Airport Rail Link was under development as of 2026 but not yet open. The SkyBus operates 24/7 between Southern Cross Station (Spencer St) and MEL in 30–40 minutes (AUD $22–24 one-way). Stops at select CBD hotels on some services.Ride-shares (Uber) from the CBD cost AUD $35–55 and take 25–40 minutes. Taxis run AUD $55–75 (higher at nights and weekends). Parking from AUD $20/day in economy lots. The Tullamarine Freeway is the only practical road route; check traffic before departing.

MEL–CMB Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Melbourne to Colombo route.
Route details
Distance5,194 mi / 8,358 km
Flight time10h 25m
Time difference-5.5 hours
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights7 out
1-stop connections10 hubs
Origin: MEL
IATA / ICAOMEL / YMML
TimezoneAustralia/Melbourne
Passengers/yr35.0M
Elevation434 ft / 132 m
Destination: CMB
IATA / ICAOCMB / VCBI
TimezoneAsia/Colombo
Passengers/yr8.8M
Elevation30 ft / 9 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about MEL to CMB flights.
Nonstop flights from Melbourne Airport to Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport take approximately 10h 25m. The route covers 5,194 miles.
1 airline operates nonstop service: Ethiopian Airlines.
There are approximately 7 nonstop flights per week from MEL to CMB.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through HKG, KUL, SIN, CAN, BKK, DOH, AUH, DXB, PVG and DEL. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Colombo is 5.5 hours behind Melbourne.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Flights from MEL to CMB

Melbourne Airport (MEL) and Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB) are connected by nonstop service from Ethiopian Airlines. With 7 weekly departures, this is a regularly served route.

MEL to CMB Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from MEL to CMB ranges from 10 hours 25 minutes. The route covers a distance of 5,194 miles (8,358 km).

Connecting Options and Alternatives

10 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 20 hours via HKG. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs.