Roomy economy cabin layout makes this flight great for couples
Route Sydney to Colombo, flight UL607
Frequency Four times a week – Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday direct from Sydney (and daily flights from Melbourne)
Aircraft Airbus A330-300
Class Economy; seat 63K (window)
Flight time 11 hours, 15 minutes (on time)
Checking in
In December 2024, Australia ranked among the top five source markets for international tourist arrivals into Sri Lanka, according to a monthly report by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. With SriLankan Airlines currently operating direct flights between Colombo and both Sydney and Melbourne, it's no surprise that when my partner and I arrive 2½ hours early at Sydney Airport, we find the check-in queue full. To our delight, every counter is staffed and the line moves steadily. Despite having booked our flights separately, we're allocated seats together with no fuss – thanks in part to an advance call to the airline's helpful customer service team. Seats secured and baggage dropped, we're off to snap obligatory pictures at the Sydney departure sign.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
12 hours ago
- The Age
Huge surf batters Sydney coast after heavy fog lifts
Page said the park, which opened after three years due to ongoing delays, was experiencing such a strong swell that water had washed away sand under the new concrete steps. He said children, including 10-year-old Francis Laurie, were enjoying the waves. 'Kids are playing on the stairs and getting ready to run back to the beach as a wave hits.' The large swell is being pushed by the lingering low-pressure system which drenched Sydney over the past week in addition to strong winds that whip the surf. A heavy fog which blanketed Sydney in the early morning dissipated to leave a bright, warm and sunny day. The bureau's Dean Narramore said visibility was as low as 50 metres in some parts of Sydney in the morning, including around the Harbour Bridge. 'We saw fog develop along our western and southern suburbs, a few hours after sunset [on Monday],' he said on Tuesday morning, adding the previous day's showers and a lack of wind had created the perfect conditions for thick, widespread fog. 'That just continued to expand overnight and early this morning, and now thick fog is covering much of Sydney Harbour out to the airport.' The number of international and domestic flights taking off and landing at Sydney Airport was reduced on Tuesday morning, and a small number were cancelled. The bureau issued a road weather alert for all of Sydney and advised motorists to take extreme care. No Sydney ferries were running at 6am, Transport for NSW advised, but ferries east of the Harbour Bridge resumed about 6.30am followed by all remaining services by 9am. Weatherzone meteorologist Aline Ribeiro said Tuesday morning's fog was 'really dense'. 'It's really easy for this to develop when you have a high-pressure system and a cold weather front,' she said, adding Tuesday's settled conditions, light winds, and high humidity – at 98 per cent in the morning – meant the fog would linger before temperatures rose. Conditions are considered to have created fog when the concentration of water droplets means visibility is less than one kilometre. Tuesday morning's fog followed similar conditions in June, in which ferries were cancelled and Sydney-wide road weather alert was issued. The Bureau of Meteorology forecast temperatures in Sydney would reach nearly 23 degrees on Tuesday. Wednesday is also expected to be sunny with a top temperature of 19 degrees. Tuesday's weather and surf conditions will slowly transition back to rainy and cold, with the weather bureau warning rain is set to return by the end of the week. The likelihood of rain is higher on Thursday with a high of 17 degrees, while showers and light winds are forecast to return on Friday and through the weekend. There was a medium chance of showers expected for Sunday's City2Surf race. Flood warnings were issues across NSW after heavy downpours at the start of August saw flood warnings issued across NSW. Sydney experienced rainfall totals of at least 100 to 150 millimetres last week, and parts of Newcastle and the Hunter about 200 millimetres. NSW Police said divers had joined a multi-agency search for a 26-year-old woman swept away in floods 16 kilometres north of Cessnock in the Hunter Valley on Saturday. The woman, a Chinese tourist, was a passenger in a vehicle which became stuck after it attempted to drive through floodwater on Saturday evening. The 27-year-old driver escaped uninjured.
Sydney Morning Herald
12 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Huge surf batters Sydney coast after heavy fog lifts
Page said the park, which opened after three years due to ongoing delays, was experiencing such a strong swell that water had washed away sand under the new concrete steps. He said children, including 10-year-old Francis Laurie, were enjoying the waves. 'Kids are playing on the stairs and getting ready to run back to the beach as a wave hits.' The large swell is being pushed by the lingering low-pressure system which drenched Sydney over the past week in addition to strong winds that whip the surf. A heavy fog which blanketed Sydney in the early morning dissipated to leave a bright, warm and sunny day. The bureau's Dean Narramore said visibility was as low as 50 metres in some parts of Sydney in the morning, including around the Harbour Bridge. 'We saw fog develop along our western and southern suburbs, a few hours after sunset [on Monday],' he said on Tuesday morning, adding the previous day's showers and a lack of wind had created the perfect conditions for thick, widespread fog. 'That just continued to expand overnight and early this morning, and now thick fog is covering much of Sydney Harbour out to the airport.' The number of international and domestic flights taking off and landing at Sydney Airport was reduced on Tuesday morning, and a small number were cancelled. The bureau issued a road weather alert for all of Sydney and advised motorists to take extreme care. No Sydney ferries were running at 6am, Transport for NSW advised, but ferries east of the Harbour Bridge resumed about 6.30am followed by all remaining services by 9am. Weatherzone meteorologist Aline Ribeiro said Tuesday morning's fog was 'really dense'. 'It's really easy for this to develop when you have a high-pressure system and a cold weather front,' she said, adding Tuesday's settled conditions, light winds, and high humidity – at 98 per cent in the morning – meant the fog would linger before temperatures rose. Conditions are considered to have created fog when the concentration of water droplets means visibility is less than one kilometre. Tuesday morning's fog followed similar conditions in June, in which ferries were cancelled and Sydney-wide road weather alert was issued. The Bureau of Meteorology forecast temperatures in Sydney would reach nearly 23 degrees on Tuesday. Wednesday is also expected to be sunny with a top temperature of 19 degrees. Tuesday's weather and surf conditions will slowly transition back to rainy and cold, with the weather bureau warning rain is set to return by the end of the week. The likelihood of rain is higher on Thursday with a high of 17 degrees, while showers and light winds are forecast to return on Friday and through the weekend. There was a medium chance of showers expected for Sunday's City2Surf race. Flood warnings were issues across NSW after heavy downpours at the start of August saw flood warnings issued across NSW. Sydney experienced rainfall totals of at least 100 to 150 millimetres last week, and parts of Newcastle and the Hunter about 200 millimetres. NSW Police said divers had joined a multi-agency search for a 26-year-old woman swept away in floods 16 kilometres north of Cessnock in the Hunter Valley on Saturday. The woman, a Chinese tourist, was a passenger in a vehicle which became stuck after it attempted to drive through floodwater on Saturday evening. The 27-year-old driver escaped uninjured.
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Sky News AU
Heavy layer of fog sweeps Sydney grinding ferry services to as road visibility remains poor
A thick layer of fog has blanketed Sydney on Tuesday morning with authorities issuing a number of warnings to commuters as ferry services take a massive hit. A dense layer of fog has buffeted Sydney on Tuesday morning knocking out a number of ferry services and severely limiting road visibility. On Tuesday morning Sydneysiders woke to vast low-lying cloud coverage which almost entirely blanketed the harbour causing a considerable flow on effect to the city's ferry services. Initially Sydney Ferries notified commuters that all services has been suspended with the F3 Parramatta River and F4 Pyrmont Bay ferries severely impacted. Routes between Rydalmere and Circular Quay and Sydney Olympic Park and Barangaroo have been cancelled completely. Sydney Ferries later updated its advice and said that some ferries had since resumed as the fog slowly lifted. 'Ferries east of the Harbour Bridge are now operating after earlier heavy fog,' the statement read. 'F3 and F4 ferries are still affected by the fog, with some cancelled between Rydalmere & Circular Quay and between Olympic Park & Barangaroo. Sydneysiders have been warned by transport authorities to expect protracted delays throughout the wider network and to make alternative travel arrangements. Delays are set to continue through the morning even after the fog subsides due with commuters urged to stay up to date with the latest travel announcements and plan accordingly. However, there is no definitive idea when the ferry network will be up and running once more. — Sydney Ferries Info (@FerriesInfo) August 4, 2025 The Harbour Bridge was entirely enveloped in fog and was barely visible from nearby Milsons Point. Authorities said the fog would creep into the city's north and west as the morning went on. The Bureau of Meteorology also issued a road weather alert for Sydney and warned that reduced fog would make conditions dangerous on Tuesday morning. Motorists have been advised to take extreme care. Sydney Airport said travellers should expect lengthy wait times due to the weather event and confirmed that a raft of flights had been disrupted as a result. 'Heavy fog is impacting flights across the network, and we advise passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline,' Sydney Airport said in a statement to Sky News. The fog is set to clear by midday, with the rest of the day remaining at a pleasant 21C and mostly sunny. The Bureau of Meteorology also warned of dangerous surf conditions throughout Sydney due to high winds and advised against activities such as swimming and fishing. Wild weather is set to return from Thursday onwards bringing gusty and wet conditions in addition to plummeting temperatures.
