Colombo Gains Direct London Cargo Link as City's Restaurant Scene Draws International Attention

Sri Lanka's commercial capital Colombo has received a boost to its global trade connections with IAG Cargo launching three weekly direct cargo flights from London Gatwick carrying Sri Lankan garments, perishables and rubber products. At the same time, Colombo's food and hospitality scene is drawing fresh international attention as a new generation of restaurateurs, led by British-Sri Lankan chef Dom Fernando, redefines what the city has to offer visitors and diners.

🏢 IAG Cargo Launches Three Weekly London Gatwick–Colombo Flights for Winter 2026

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group, has introduced a new direct freight service linking London Gatwick with Colombo as part of its 2026/27 winter schedule, operational from October 2026 through March 2027. The service runs three times weekly and is designed to support the movement of key Sri Lankan exports, including garments, perishables, rubber products, tyres, and components for the global automotive industry. The route also connects into IAG Cargo's wider international network, allowing goods moving through Colombo to reach destinations across Europe and the Americas. The launch of the Colombo service is part of a broader round of capacity expansions: IAG Cargo has doubled its London Gatwick to Bangkok frequencies from three to six weekly flights, while London Heathrow to Delhi flights were increased from 14 to 21 per week earlier in September. IAG Cargo's Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Camilo Garcia Cervera said the winter schedule is focused on providing the connectivity that customers need across key global trade lanes, noting that the introduction of Colombo alongside Delhi and Bangkok strengthens Asia's trade connections with broader global markets. The company's winter network also covers 29 North American destinations, served from London, Dublin, Madrid, and Barcelona, supporting transatlantic goods movement. [3]

🍛 British-Sri Lankan Chef Opens Restaurant in Colombo as the City's Dining Scene Awakens

For many years Colombo was treated more as a transit point than a destination in its own right, with international visitors passing through on the way to Sri Lanka's southern coast resorts and beaches. That is beginning to change, the South China Morning Post reports, as a new generation of restaurateurs redefines the city's food scene. As Sri Lanka continues its recovery from a 26-year civil war that ended in 2009 and from the economic crisis that ran from 2019 to 2024, new life is emerging in Colombo's culinary and hospitality landscape. British-Sri Lankan chef Dom Fernando, speaking to the SCMP, said that tourism in Colombo began picking up meaningfully about two and a half years ago. Fernando is known in London for Paradise, his acclaimed contemporary Sri Lankan restaurant that introduced the food of his parents' birthplace to British diners from 2019 until mid-2026, pairing Sri Lankan flavours with seasonal British produce. He has now brought his culinary sensibility to Colombo with a new restaurant called Open Door Policy, cited by the SCMP alongside a venue called Kampong as evidence of a growing dining scene rooted in Sri Lankan flavours, local history, and a rising generation of culinary talent reshaping what the city has to offer. [4]

Sources: [3] American Journal of Transportation · [4] South China Morning Post