<h2 class="blog-hed2 pb-lg-4 pb-3 text-lg-center">History Bandaranaike International Airport</h2>
<p class="blog-para">Colombo is the capital and largest city of Sri Lanka, located on the west coast of the island. In the past, the Portuguese, Dutch and British ruled over the city and country until its independence in 1948. Given this fact, Colombo has an interesting mix of European clothing, customs and architecture.</p>
<p class="blog-para">While your stay in Colombo, do not miss Galle Face Green, Gangaramaya Temple, Viharamahadevi Park, National Museum of Colombo, Town Hall, Independence Memorial Hall Square, Pettah Floating Market, among others.</p>
<p class="blog-para">The airport began as a Royal Air Force airfield in 1944 during the Second World War, RAF Negombo with No. 45 Squadron RAF (1946&ndash;49), No. 232 Squadron RAF (1945), No. 249 Squadron RAF (1950) and No. 1303 Flight RAF (1945&ndash;46). In 1957, Prime minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike removed all the British Military airfields from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and the airfield was handed over to the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) and renamed Katunayake; part of it still remains a military airfield. In 1964 Anil Moonesinghe, the Minister of Communications, started the building of a new international airport to replace Ratmalana, with Canadian aid. The airport was completed in 1967, and Air Ceylon, the national carrier, began international operations from it using a Hawker Siddeley Trident and a leased British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) VC-10. It was named after former Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike, in 1970. It was renamed Katunayake International Airport in 1977, but was changed back to Bandaranaike International Airport in 1995.</p>
<p class="blog-para">On 7 November 1971, the first Boeing 747 landed at the airport. The Boeing 747-200B was operated by Condor carrying German tourists from Frankfurt. In the early 1990s the position of the airport's runway (04/22) was shifted northward and the old runway was made into a taxiway for departing and arriving aircraft. Airport expansion projects have recently been undertaken at the airport under the Stage 1, Phase II Expansion Project. A pier with eight aero-bridges opened in November 2005. A new terminal with an additional eight gates are proposed to be built under Stage II of the Phase II Expansion Project. Construction of the new Stage II, Phase II Expansion Project is expected to commence in April 2017 and is expected to be completed by 2020.</p>
<p><img class="img-fluid p-lg-0 rounded w-100" title="History Bandaranaike International Airport" src="../../../main/img/airport/ban/b.webp" alt="History Bandaranaike International Airport"></p>
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<h2 class="blog-hed2 pb-lg-4 pb-3 pt-5">Transportation Bandaranaike International Airport</h2>
<p class="blog-para">Colombo Airport has the following means of transportation available for their passengers:</p>
<ul class="blog-ul">
<li class="blog-li"><strong>Bus: </strong>There are express buses to Colombo central bus stand.</li>
<li class="blog-li"><strong>Taxi: </strong>Get within 36 minutes to Colombo city center by taxi.</li>
<li class="blog-li"><strong>Train: </strong>"Colombo Airport Express Rail" operates as a shuttle.</li>
<li class="blog-li"><strong>Transfers:</strong> If you want private transportation to and from Colombo Airport, you can book a transfer.</li>
<li class="blog-li"><strong>Car rental:</strong> Rent a car at Colombo Airport and explore Sri Lanka on your own. Check our search engine for more details!</li>
</ul>