Tag Archives: Sri Lankan Airlines

Sri Lankan Airlines announced operations to Gan International Airport in Southern Maldives, a secluded getaway with luxurious resorts via Sri Lanka especially suited for high-end travellers from the Middle East. This route will have an opportunity for Middle East travellers to explore two destinations at their convenience.  Speaking with TravTalk MiddleEast Jayantha Abeysinghe – Regional Manager Middle East shared, “we wanted to introduce a new experience to our discerning clientele from the Middle East to discover serene, secluded and tranquil areas which appeal to their requirements to enjoy a private luxurious getaway. Adding Gan to our Middle East operations will further enhance connectivity between key destinations in the region and capitalise the growing demand for travel between the Middle East and the Maldives. Our product offering is well suited for our customers from the Middle East such as United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman and over the years they have made Maldives their much loved destination, hence we wanted to bring in what we do best, ensuring that our customers have new and personalised luxury experiences.” Speaking on the campaign just launched Abeysinghe further reiterated, “If customers fly to Gan with Sri Lankan, their stay is complimentary for three nights. Middle East travellers can book through their travel agents in order to reap more benefits of this exclusive offer tailor made for the region. We know that our Middle East travellers constantly seek exclusive and less crowded holiday destinations, hence this will be a good fit for the entire family.” The introduction of this new direct service from key Middle Eastern cities to Gan will boost tourism between Sri Lanka, Middle East and Maldives. For Maldives this would …

SriLankan Airlines, in collaboration with Travel Portfolio from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Aitken Spence Travels from Sri Lanka, recently concluded a successful familiarization (FAM) tour of Thailand and Sri Lanka for top travel and tour operators in Dubai. The FAM tour was designed to raise awareness about the new seamless connections from the Middle East, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, to Bangkok via Colombo on flight UL 404, and to showcase Sri Lanka as a captivating holiday destination to UAE tour operators. SriLankan Airlines currently offers daily services from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh, and Kuwait City, along with five weekly flights from Dammam to Colombo. Between Colombo and Bangkok, the airline operates 11 flights per week including UL 404. The schedule of flight UL 404 facilitates seamless connections via Colombo, allowing for quick transfers for passengers heading to Bangkok from the Middle East. Moreover, the scheduled arrival time of UL 404 at 12:50hrs in Bangkok and the departure time of the corresponding return flight UL 405 at 13:55hrs perfectly align with standard hotel check-in and check-out times, offering convenience to holiday travellers. Additionally, passengers traveling from the Middle East can enjoy a free stopover in Colombo when flying to Bangkok on SriLankan Airlines, offering the opportunity for a dual-country vacation in one trip. SriLankan Airlines also offers convenient connections via Colombo between nine key Indian cities and Bangkok. The travel and tour operators discovered the best of both worlds during the FAM tour. They explored the vibrant street life and shopping that capture the essence of Bangkok, as well as the bustling melting pot of Colombo, sun-kissed southern beaches, and the historic city of Galle, all deeply …

SriLankan Airlines joined the Arabian Travel Mart (ATM) 2023 to boost tourism from the Middle East and North Africa. The region is an important source market for high-net worth tourists and SriLankan hopes to promote its flight services from the Middle East to Sri Lanka and beyond for leisure travel. Richard Nuttall, Chief Executive Officer Sri Lankan Airlines speaking with TravelTV Middle East highlighted the importance of the destination and the new campaign to attract hitherto unknown places in the destination. He further reiterated that currently SriLankan Airlines operates over 40 weekly flights to the Middle East spanning the key cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; Doha in Qatar; Dammam and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia; and Kuwait. The airline is now looking ahead to further strengthen its operations in the Middle East with the anticipated new aircraft deliveries to its fleet in the near future. SriLankan’s plans for the Middle East include an increase in the number of weekly flights to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha and the relaunch of services to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He further stated, “There is a huge diaspora living in the Middle Eastern region and we want them to feel at home as soon as they board the flight, and for those tourists who will travel with us for the first time, we want them to feel the Sri Lankan hospitality as soon as they begin their journey onboard. For Middle Eastern customers seeking the thrill and vibrancy of Sri Lanka, SriLankan Airlines is arguably the best choice of travel due to the airline’s convenient and direct flight options between multiple cities across the Middle East and the island.” SriLankan …

SriLankan Airlines adorns one of its aircraft with customized livery to reaffirm its status as the official airline of the much-awaited ‘Raid Amazones 2022.’ Raid Amazones 2022 is an annual sporting event that features a large number of French female athletes competing their way to victory through multiple sports events and activities against the backdrop of an iconic tourist destination. Every year, the event highlights an attractive tourist destination through inherent features such as its ecological beauty, citizens’ way of life and culture, which are prominently showcased to the world through global media that follow the athletes in their trail. The 20th edition of the event will take place in the areas surrounding the iconic Sigiriya rock fortress, rich in ecological beauty, cultural heritage and attributes of authentic village life in Sri Lanka.  The first leg will take place from 13 – 23, March 2022 and the second leg is scheduled from 27 March – 6 April 2022. Over 550 participants are expected to join the event, including athletes and officials. The SriLankan aircraft with the special livery features iconic Sigiriya, the vibrant and unique backdrop of this year’s event. This aircraft will be deployed to bring in athletes and officials from Paris to Sri Lanka for the event and would also continue to fly to many of the airline’s other destinations in its scheduled operations, thus portraying Sri Lanka’s stature as a sports and adventure destination. SriLankan Airlines, a forerunner in the country’s tourism promotion endeavors, expects this to inspire many discerning travellers from France to explore Sri Lanka in the future, supported by the airline’s direct connectivity between the two countries.

Sri Lankan Airlines announced further suspension of Dubai-Colombo flight operations until April 9, 2020 as part of the precautionary measures being implemented in response to COVID-19. Following the announcement from the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management (NCEMA) and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in the UAE. All passengers who are booked during this period are permitted one free charge to travel up to May 31, 2020 for original routing. The airfare and taxes paid for the SriLankan airlines’ ticket can be transferred to a voucher which can be redeemed for your future travel SriLankan Airlines. This voucher shall be valid for 364 days from the date of issue. If you are uncertain as to when you will be travelling next due to the prevailing crisis situation, the ideal solution will be to obtain this voucher, thus securing the opportunity to travel in the future when circumstances become more favourable. The airline will not be charging any change/reissue penalties for the issuance of voucher. You may obtain this voucher any time before the expiry (364 days from the air ticket issuance) of the ticket that you are currently holding.

Sri Lankan Airlines have launched a new ‘Corporate Policy on the Carriage of Fauna & Flora on board Sri Lankan Aircraft’ to strengthen its numerous initiatives on species smuggling. The policy reaffirms Sri Lankan’s resolve to follow established international conservation practices, including a total ban on transporting of wild game hunting trophies and any part of a species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES); ban on transporting non-human primates destined for laboratories or laboratory suppliers; and the strict adherence to national regulations and applicable best practices in relation to proper documentation and approvals of regulatory authorities. Captain Suren Ratwatte, CEO of SriLankan Airlines, said, “We believe that the launch of this policy will send a strong message to species smugglers, that we will not tolerate any activities that are unethical or endanger the survival of any species. It is important that we as a National Airline, reaffirm our commitment to conservation and strengthen our policies and procedures.” Pradeepa Kekulawala, Convener of SriLankan Airlines’ Green Initiatives and Head of Human Resources, said, “Our new Corporate Policy was formulated after much research on global trends in conservation, and a resolve to stay in the forefront of the anti-smuggling campaign for which we have gained a sound reputation over the last decade.”