Need help booking?
Unpublished phone-only deals available
MSY to CMB: distance & flight time
New Orleans (Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport) → Colombo (Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport)
9,786 mi
15,750 km · 8,504 nm
19h 39m
estimated nonstop flight time
+10.5h
time difference · heading north
See live MSY→CMB fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
9,786 miles nonstop takes roughly 19h 39m gate to gate, flying north. Add 45–90 minutes per connection if there's no nonstop service. Remember to factor the 10.5-hour time gain when reading arrival times on your ticket.
The two airports
- MSY — Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport · New Orleans, United States
- CMB — Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport · Colombo, Sri Lanka
Distances are great-circle ("as the crow flies") — the same basis airlines use for frequent-flyer miles.
Alternate airports can cut this fare
Flying from or into a nearby airport is the #1 trick our agents use to beat online prices. Call and we'll compare every combination on one call.
Near MSY
- NEW · Lakefront Airport14 mi away
- NBG · New Orleans NAS JRB/Alvin Callender Field18 mi away
- BTR · Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport65 mi away
- GPT · Gulfport Biloxi International Airport76 mi away
Near CMB
- RML · Colombo Ratmalana Airport25 mi away
- GIU · Sigiriya Air Force Base79 mi away
- ACJ · Anuradhapura Air Force Base86 mi away
- KCT · Koggala Airport87 mi away
Frequently asked questions
How far is MSY from CMB?
The flight distance from New Orleans (MSY) to Colombo (CMB) is 9,786 miles (15,750 km, 8,504 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from MSY to CMB?
A nonstop flight takes about 19h 39m gate to gate. Actual time varies with winds, routing and season — eastbound transatlantic flights, for example, are usually faster than the return.
What is the time difference between New Orleans and Colombo?
Colombo is 10.5 hours ahead of New Orleans.
What is the cheapest way to fly from MSY to CMB?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on MSY–CMB that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.