SriLankan Airlines carries 3.2 million passengers in 2007

SriLankan Airlines carried 3.2 million passengers around its global network in 2007, an increase of more than 100,000 over the previous year.

It was the largest number of passengers carried by the airline in a calendar year since its inception in 1979.

Significant increases were recorded in all regions – Europe, India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The largest improvements were in traffic to and from Frankfurt, Bahrain, Doha, Bangkok, and Singapore.

Manoj Gunawardena, Head of Worldwide Passenger Sales, said: “our worldwide team has achieved an excellent performance during the calendar year 2007. We remained strong in all regions, and our focus on the Indian market yielded excellent results.”

In India substantial increases were seen in the number of passengers carried to and from Mumbai, Calicut, Goa, Madras, and Bangalore. SriLankan last November became the first foreign carrier to operate 100 flights per week to India and now serves 11 cities there. During 2007 it launched services to Coimbatore and increased services to several other cities, including its double-daily service to Mumbai.

“It was not an easy year since some tourists were deterred by strong travel advisories issued by key tourist generating countries. We also faced increased competition from other carriers in India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia,” said Gunawardena.

The airline’s other traditional markets continued to be rock solid, including London, Male, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Trivandrum, Trichy, and Cochin. All of the airline’s offices contributed by supporting sales efforts throughout the route network.

Services to new destinations launched in 2007 – Coimbatore and Jeddah – lived up to their potential, and more is expected from them in the future.

Apart from carrying travellers to and from Sri Lanka, the airline has focused on turning Colombo into a hub in the region, connecting East and West and serving as the gateway to India.

SriLankan has made a name for itself as an award winning carrier, receiving accolades such as World’s Best Airline in a survey of Economy Class passengers, World’s Friendliest Cabin Staff, first runner-up for World’s Best Cabin Staff, Best Overall In-flight Entertainment (small fleet), and World’s Most Efficient Operator of Airbus A330s (small fleet).


Back

SriLankan Airlines announces launch of ‘SmiLes’ frequent flyer programme

SriLankan Airlines is proud to announce the launch of ‘SmiLes’ commencing April 1st 2008, its new frequent flyer programme which promises a wide range of exciting rewards for passengers of Sri Lanka’s award-winning National Carrier.

The airline’s previous frequent flyer programme, Skywards, ends on March 31st 2008 as SriLankan’s management changes hands.

Manoj Gunawardena, Head of Worldwide Passenger Sales, said: “SmiLes will be positioned as ‘the Frequent Flyer Programme that Rewards and Delights.’ It will open the door to a world of rewards for our passengers.”

Mr. Gunawardena added: “SmiLes will be introducing a number of partner airlines and other companies which will offer members a choice to both earn and burn miles for a variety of goods and services. These will range from hotel stays to bank services, retailers, and especially SriLankan Holidays - the airline’s leisure arm.”

“SriLankan’s smiling airline staff, both in the air and on the ground, have given the airline a global reputation for Warmth, Caring and Friendliness. Hence the name SmiLes,” said Mr. Gunawardena.

SmiLes will have three tiers of membership – Gold, Silver, and Blue – according to how many miles are accrued. Every mile flown would be credited to his or her SmiLes account as one mile.

All members can exchange their miles for rewards such as free air tickets to in Europe, the Middle East, South Asia and the Far East; and upgrades. They also have a wide range of other benefits such as pre-assigned seating and priority wait-listing.

Gold and Silver members are entitled to even more exciting benefits. These include the use of the airline’s lounge at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport, priority check-in, free excess baggage (up to 12 kg for Silver and 16 kg for Gold), priority baggage delivery, family bonus, and fast track facility (for Gold members).

Silver membership is for those who earn over 25,000 miles or fly a minimum of 20 sectors within a calendar year. Gold membership is for those with more than 50,000 miles or 40 sectors within a calendar year.

Becoming a member of SmiLes is as simple as filling out a form which will be available at any SriLankan ticket office in Sri Lanka or overseas, at Bandaranaike International Airport, on board flights, on the SmiLes website www.flysmiles.com, and at the airline’s corporate site www.srilankan.aero. Or visit the SmiLes Service Centre at Colombo’s World Trade Centre.

Existing Skywards members have a choice of transferring their Skywards Miles to SmiLes in full or in part.

Members of Skywards who join SmiLes will be immediately placed in the same tier – e.g. Gold members are enrolled as Gold members. This offer is valid during the introductory period up to 30th June 2008, after which they can do so only upon transferring a similar number of points from Skywards to SmiLes.

Back

Sumptuous new dishes and desserts aboard SriLankan Airlines flights

SriLankan Airlines has added a host of mouth-watering new items to its in-flight meal service, which are guaranteed to spice up your flight!

Nigel O’Shea, Head of Service Delivery, said: “We have introduced a number of entrée items, snacks, desserts, and drinks, with the intent of making our passengers’ journeys more enjoyable. I am happy to say that we have had a lot of excellent feedback from passengers already.”

Passengers on the airline’s flights to and from European cities are savouring Elephant House Wonder Bites, the enjoyable ice cream snack that is highly popular among Sri Lankan consumers.

Jehan Karunaratne, Manager Inflight Service Support, said: “We continuously study the preferences of different types of passengers in each region that we fly to, and evaluate their suggestions. The changes to our meal service reflect all these inputs. For example, passengers in the tropics tend to be thirstier than those in Europe.”

Passengers on flights in the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent now find a can of Coke or Pepsi on their meal trays, as well as a larger 200 ml bottle of water. They are also served a welcome drink of fruit juice in a tetra pack when they board.

Several innovative snacks have been introduced between meals. The airline’s shortest flights, to and from Trichy and Trivandrum, now have delicious savoury snacks served – from puff pastries to folded pizzas, heated on the aircraft and served warm. Fresh fruits are also served between main meals on all flights.

Business Class passengers are devouring the airline’s range of delightful hot desserts that has just been introduced on flights to and from Europe, such as peach & almond bake, bread & butter pudding, and walnut brownie with ice cream. After Eight mints are served on all flights.

Passengers on Business Class to and from Europe who prefer to have a quick bite, perhaps to get a good rest on a long flight, can avail themselves of the Quick Meal Service, which includes thick soups, and pies, that are a meal in themselves.

SriLankan, which has a global reputation for caring, warm and friendly service, revamps its menus every two months, to add new items and innovations. The airline has won accolades such as World’s Friendliest Cabin Staff, and World’s Best Inflight Entertainment. SriLankan Catering won medals at the recent Hong Kong International Culinary Classic, and a Mercury Award in the Food & Beverage category from International Flight Catering Association.

Back

SriLankan Airlines introduces On-Line Check-In facility

SriLankan Airlines’ passengers no longer need to queue up to check-in at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport, with the launch of the airline’s On-Line Check-In facility.

Passengers even have the luxury of choosing their own seat on the aircraft, through the remarkably easy to use system!

Nigel O’Shea, Head of Service Delivery, said “On-Line Check-In is a major initiative that is part of our ongoing project to improve the convenience for everyone travelling on SriLankan Airlines. It allows our passengers to select the seat they would like before they come to the airport, and it considerably reduces the time spent in the check-in area.”

The facility will initially be for single sector travel (direct flights without stopovers) from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to 31 of SriLankan’s destinations throughout Europe, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and the Far East. It will next be extended to multiple sector flights, and will also be introduced worldwide at the airline’s other points of departure for flights into BIA and other destinations.

Kamal Nanayakkara, Head of IT, said: “On-Line Check-in has already been proven elsewhere in the global airline industry, and we are confident that our passengers too will benefit immensely by it. It can be done from your home, office, or even on the move through your laptop and very soon with the hand phone. This is in-line with IATA initiatives for simplifying the business where BIA Check-in system was recently upgraded to accommodate barcode boarding passes for the benefit of all operating carriers, thus joining the very few airports in this region having this capability.”

On-Line Check-In opens 24 hours before a flight and continues up to 2 hours before a flight. One could even check-in groups of passengers, if the required information and reference numbers are available.

A passenger simply needs to visit SriLankan’s website www.srilankan.aero and click on “On-line check-in”. The next step is to merely key in four simple entries - name, airport, flight number, and booking reference or Skywards frequent flyer number.

Passengers en route to a country that requires Advanced Passenger Information (API) such as the US and UK, need to enter some additional information such as passport number, date of birth, and sex.

The system will automatically assign a seat, which the passenger can change through a user-friendly chart that shows the aircraft’s seating plan, identifying reserved seats in a different colour.

The Boarding Pass is then displayed on screen, with all necessary details. Passengers may take a printout of their boarding pass if they wish, although it is not required since he or she can produce the e-ticket at the airport and receive a printout of the Boarding Pass from SriLankan staff.

Passengers proceed direct to the Baggage Drop Counter, where their bags will be weighed. Any Excess Baggage matters will be handled at that time.

At present, passengers who require special care such as infants and wheelchair passengers will continue to be handled by SriLankan staff, and not through the on-line system.

The airline has already begun briefing travel agents in Sri Lanka, so they can keep their customers informed.

Bandaranaike International Airport

The Bandaranaike International Airport is fast emerging as a hub airport in South Asia and has been expanded to handle increased numbers of passengers. The airport also offers a wide variety of restaurants, duty free shops, department stores, lounges and business centres for travellers.



Back

SriLankan Airlines launches flights to Coimbatore

SriLankan Airlines will launch services to Coimbatore on 29th October 2007, making this South Indian city the  airline’s 11th destination in India.

Coimbatore, sitting near the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, provides an ideal gateway for travellers from East Kerala to fly to the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the Far East. A major industrial city, Coimbatore is the second largest metropolis in Tamil Nadu.

Peter Hill, CEO of SriLankan, said: “SriLankan Airlines has positioned Colombo as the gateway to India, and we are continuously increasing our services there. This includes the addition of more and more cities across India to our route network, and we are proud to add Coimbatore to this list.”

The airline will initially operate four flights a week on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday using Airbus A320 aircraft. It already has services to three major cities in Kerala – Trivandrum, Kozhikode, and Kochi; and two in Tamil Nadu – Chennai (Madras) and Trichy.

Manoj Gunawardena, Head of Worldwide Passenger Sales, said: “our new service to Coimbatore will provide convenient access to and from all regions in our international network, we are confident that the new service would be useful to many segments particularly business traveller, leisure traveller, those traveling to visit relations and friends and for employment .”

Senaka Fernando, Regional Manager Indian subcontinent & Maldives, said: “SriLankan Airlines is very familiar with the travel requirements of South Indian passengers, and we take great care in providing the best facilities to them.”

A short 70-minute flight would bring travellers to Colombo, where the airline has rapid connections to its global network of 54 destinations in 28 countries. Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport has earned a reputation as the finest in the South Asian region following its recent expansion, with its modern terminal and aerobridges, comfortable lounges, and well-stocked duty free shopping complex.

SriLankan carried a staggering 1.1 million passengers to and from India in the 12 months from April 2006-March 2007, 32% of the airline’s global traffic. Sri Lanka is a popular destination among Indian tourists, for its excellent value-for-money shopping, diverse climates and landscapes, and ancient cultural sites. It is also a favourite among business travellers, especially with companies that prefer Colombo for meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE tourism).

SriLankan has won many awards for its operations to India, including the Galileo Indian Express Award for Best East bound International Airline. Its global and regional accolades include “World’s Best Airline” in a survey of Economy Class passengers; “World’s Friendliest Cabin Staff”; first runner-up for “World’s Best Cabin Staff”; “Best Overall Inflight Entertainment (small fleet)”; Best Airline in Central Asia four consecutive years; and Best Airline in South Asia three times.

Back

SriLankan Airlines is Foreign Carrier of the Year South Asia again

SriLankan Airlines was named Foreign Carrier of the Year for South Asia for the second successive year at the recent KLIA Awards 2006 in Kuala Lumpur.

Peter Hill, CEO of SriLankan, said: “We at SriLankan are very pleased to add the KLIA Award to our list of accolades. It is always an honour to receive recognition as being among the finest in the global air transport industry.”

Malaysia Airlines won the title of Carrier of the Year, while other regional awards went to Singapore Airlines (Southeast Asia), Cathay Pacific (Northeast Asia), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Europe), and SriLankan’s strategic partner Emirates Airline (Middle East).

The KLIA Awards are presented by Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhard, which operates Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), recently named the World’s Best Airport in the 15-25 million passengers category. Awards are presented to passenger airlines, cargo airlines, low cost airlines, food & beverage outlets, and retail outlets which operate in Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Airlines are judged on the number of passengers carried to and from Kuala Lumpur, strong growth, good sales performance, good sales presentation, international recognition, and service performance.

The awards were presented by Malaysia’s Minister of Transport, Y.B. Dato’ Sri Chan Kong Choy, at a glittering ceremony at the Pan Pacific Kuala Lumpur International Airport on 29th June 2007.

Lalith de Silva, SriLankan Airlines’ Country Manager for Malaysia, who received the award on behalf of the airline, said: “We are very proud to receive this award once again as it recognizes SriLankan as one of the best performing and most preferred airlines operating out of KLIA. We are very pleased that we have once again caught the attention of Malaysian passengers and will strive to provide even better service this year.”

SriLankan now serves 51 destinations in 28 countries, including 12 flights a week between Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Colombo. It provides convenient connections to Kuala Lumpur from Europe, the Middle East, and India where it is the foreign carrier with the most frequencies, operating 95 flights per week to 10 cities.


Back

SriLankan Airlines is among Asia’s best say UK luxury travelers

A survey of 10,000 readers of UK’s Daily Telegraph on their experiences in luxury travel has placed SriLankan Airlines among the finest of Asia’s airlines. SriLankan was one of four runners-up in the category of Best Asian Airline, which was won by Singapore Airlines. Other runners-up were Cathay Pacific, Malaysian Airlines and Thai Airways.

Peter Hill, CEO of SriLankan, said: “Once again, SriLankan Airlines has proven to be one of the most popular airlines among global travellers. It is gratifying to note that in these days of intense competition, SriLankan continues to rub shoulders with the best in the  airline industry in terms of standards in both our products and services.”

The “Ultratravel 100” survey was carried out by the Daily Telegraph, whose readership is known to consist mostly of up-market persons in UK society. The survey quizzed readers’ personal experiences with regard to tour operators, cruise liners, hotels, airlines, airports and destinations. Sri Lanka’s National Carrier now flies to 51 destinations in 28 countries across the globe. It is a favourite among travellers to and from India, where it is the foreign airline with the most number of frequencies – 95 per week to 10 cities – providing one-stop rapid connections to Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Far East. These include 12 flights per week to London, as well as services to Paris and Frankfurt.

SriLankan is also the biggest carrier into the Maldives, which incidentally was voted in the Ultratravel 100 as the Best Worldwide Destination. SriLankan’s modern fleet consists of Airbus A340, A330 and A320 aircraft.

SriLankan Airlines has in recent years won such prestigious titles as World’s Best Airline in a survey of Economy Class passengers, World’s Friendliest Cabin Staff, first runner-up for World’s Best Cabin Staff, Best Overall In-flight Entertainment (small fleet), World’s Most Efficient Operator of Airbus A330s (small fleet), Best Airline in Central Asia for four consecutive years, and Best Airline in South Asia three times.

Back

SriLankan Airlines enhances in-flight comforts for passengers

SriLankan Airlines, which takes great pride in its global reputation for warm and friendly service, is providing more enhancements for the benefit of passengers, ranging from expanded menus to toys for children and more entertainment options.

Nigel O’Shea, Head of Service Delivery, said: “We at SriLankan Airlines are constantly searching for more and better ways to provide a truly delightful travelling experience to our passengers. Improvements have been made on flights to each of our destinations”

Among the changes are completely revamped menus on all South Indian sectors. Even spicy pickles and traditional Indian ‘after-mints’ of sweet cumin seeds have been provided. Passengers to Trichy and Trivandrum will find the cold snacks have been replaced with hot items . Ice cream, another favourite in India, is now served on Subcontinent flights and will shortly be introduced on Middle Eastern and European sectors.

Jehan Karunaratne, Manager Inflight Service Support, said: “Improvements are tailored to meet customer preferences on each route. This includes careful evaluation of customer feedback and tests with focus groups of passengers before making changes.”

Four types of giveaway packs for children are now carried on board, with different packs for 8-12 years, 5-8 years, 2-5 years, and even a baby pack for infants. All of  the packs include toys, activity books, and a SriLankan Airlines branded backpack.

Business Class passengers on flights to any destination can now savour a range of additional items such as cold canapés, hot savouries and crudités (vegetable dips), as well as the usual savouries with the bar service. Complimentary toilet kits provided for overnight passengers in Business Class now include a range of brand name items.

Passengers on late night flights who prefer to rest rather than wait for the main meal to be served, may  request a light meal that has been introduced specifically for rapid serving.

Passengers to and from Tokyo are provided snacks of ‘Onigiri’ (triangle shaped rice cakes with a variety of fillings inside), and also cup noodles (vegetarian and seafood). SriLankan’s Beijing service has a number of enhancements ranging from expanded Chinese meals to a glass of Chinese beer, and two Chinese movies to watch.

SriLankan has in recent years won such prestigious titles as World’s Best Airline in a survey of Economy Class passengers, World’s Friendliest Cabin Staff, first runner-up for World’s Best Cabin Staff, and Best Overall Inflight Entertainment (small fleet).

SriLankan’s all-Airbus fleet contains luxurious seats with ample pitch and width. All seats are equipped with the latest in in-flight entertainment with 18-channel seat-back television, 22-channel audio and 16 video games, with Business Class having a choice of videos as well. With the launch of services to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia this month, SriLankan’s network will have 51 international destinations in 28 countries.


Back

Jeddah Crowns SriLankan Airlines Middle East Schedule

A SriLankan Airlines Airbus A340 touched down at the King Abdulaziz International Airport on March 27, marking the launch of the airline’s twice weekly service to Jeddah.

Coinciding with the launch, a fully fledged station office, located at the Kanoo Tower, Kilo 7 Madina Road will also open its doors to the public.

Earlier this month SriLankan Airlines signed a code share agreement with Saudi Arabian Airlines, which allows both airlines to jointly market the flights.

SriLankan Airlines’ Head of Worldwide Passenger Sales, Manoj Gunawardena said, “This is a significant milestone for SriLankan, taking us a step closer to giving our passengers in Asia the best connections from their home country to the Middle East. We are confident that this new route will be a great success for both our airlines and a greater convenience for our passengers.”

The commercial hub of Saudi Arabia and the principal gateway to Makkah, the holiest city in Islam, is SriLankan Airlines’ third destination in Saudi Arabia after Dammam and Riyadh and the ninth in the Middle East. Other key destinations in the region include Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Muscat and Kuwait.

Jeddah is also the airlines’ 51st destination in a network spanning 28 countries.

The launch falls in line with the airline’s 2006 strategy, initiated to expand its services in the Middle East and increase its leisure travel focus, catering to Arab nationals, western expatriates and the returning Asian migrant work population. 

SriLankan Airlines Regional Manager for Middle East, CIS and Africa, Mohamed Fazeel said, “We are always looking for new opportunities to enhance our operations to the Middle East. Adding new destinations and increasing frequencies to the region is a vital component of our strategy.

The airline’s Colombo hub is ideally positioned to connect Middle East travellers with seventeen destinations in South Asia and the Far East.

The airline has a strong presence in the Indian market as the foreign carrier with the most number of frequencies, operating 95 weekly flights into 10 destinations across India. The schedule includes double daily services to Madras and Mumbai and a daily service to other destinations in India.

SriLankan Airlines also operates a double daily service to the Maldives and regular services to the Far East including near double daily service to Malaysia and Singapore and over nine flights to Thailand.

Holiday makers can also opt to stop over at Colombo for shopping and a city expedition or venture inland and explore the island’s wildlife in the vast national parks for a glimpse of the elusive leopard or the majestic elephant. Sri Lanka is also home to some the world’s most exotic birdlife.

Sri Lanka also offers a rich cultural heritage that is worth discovering, including the 4th century rock fortress in Sigiriya or the ancient kingdoms of Anuradhapura.

The airlines’ leisure travel management arm, SriLankan Holiday offers travellers very attractive all inclusive holiday packages to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, India and the Far East.

Holiday packages cover all costs and taxes and include air travel, star class hotel accommodation, tours, transfers and a host of other conveniences.

SriLankan Airlines is majority owned by the Government of Sri Lanka (51.05 %) with Dubai based Emirates holding a 43.6 percent stake and a ten year management contract.

Back

SriLankan Airlines To Fly to Jeddah 

SriLankan Airlines will make Saudi Arabia 's  city of Jeddah its 51st global destination, launching a twice weekly service starting March 27, 2007.

The airline signed a   codeshare   agreement with Saudi Arabian Airlines on February 27, for services to Jeddah on Tuesday and Friday.

Jeddah is SriLankan Airlines third destination in Saudi Arabia and the ninth in the airline’s Middle East route network.

“Over 500,000 Sri Lankans’ are estimated to be working and living in   Saudi Arabia, with a significant number of them in Jeddah. We are confident our new service will greatly enhance travel between Colombo and Jeddah,” SriLankan Airlines’ Head of Worldwide Passenger Sales, Manoj Gunawardena said.

The  Sri Lankan Ambassador  in Saudi Arabia,  His Excellency Mr. A M J Sadiq said “The proposed regular flight operations would be a dream-come-true to the large Sri Lankan expatriate community in the  western region of   Saudi Arabia, who have long yearned for this service.”

Jeddah is also the principal gateway to Makkah, the holiest city of Islam, which able-bodied Muslims are required to visit at least once in a lifetime, to perform the Haj pilgrimage. The holy city attracts between two to three million visitors annually.

 In 2006, SriLankan Airlines expanded its services to the Middle East, increasing frequencies to a number of destinations including Dubai and Doha, in a strategy to offer greater convenience for passengers travelling through its Colombo hub. 

The addition of Jeddah to SriLankan Airlines’ Middle East network is also expected to complement the airlines’ Indian network, spanning ten key destinations.

“SriLankan Airlines is the largest foreign carrier into India with 94 weekly flights, making us a preferred carrier to the subcontinent’s residents,” SriLankan Airlines, Regional Manager Middle East, Mohamed Fazeel said.

“We are continuously looking for new opportunities to enhance our service and adding new destinations and increasing frequencies is a vital component,” he added.
SriLankan Airlines has in recent years achieved global recognition for its standards in excellence, winning such prestigious titles as World's Best Airline in a survey of Economy Class passengers, World's Friendliest Cabin Staff, first runner-up for World's Best Cabin Staff, Best Overall Inflight Entertainment (for a fleet of 20 or less), and World's Most Efficient Operator of Airbus A330s (small fleet category) from Airbus Industrie.
SriLankan has also dominated regional awards, winning the Skytrax award for Best Airline in Central Asia for four consecutive years, as well as the TTG Asia Award for Best Airline in South Asia three times, the Galileo Indian Express Award for the Best Eastbound International Airline from India and most recently, the award for Foreign Carrier of the Year for the South Asia Sector at the inaugural KLIA Awards in Kuala Lumpur.


Back

SriLankan Airlines wins KLIA Award as Foreign Carrier of the Year South Asia

SriLankan Airlines was adjudged the Foreign Carrier of the Year for the South Asia Sector, at the inaugural KLIA Awards in Kuala Lumpur recently.

The KLIA Awards are organized by Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhard, which operates 39 airports in Malaysia including five international airports. The awards honour the best performers among airlines, hotels, food & beverage outlets, and retail outlets at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), which was recently named the World’s Best Airport (15-25 million passengers category).

Airlines were chosen based on total passenger movement (arrival, departure and transit) at KLIA. SriLankan operates 12 flights a week between Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Colombo, with immediate connections to Europe, Middle East, India and Maldives.

Peter Hill, CEO of SriLankan, said: “Once again, SriLankan Airlines has proven that it is up there among the finest in the global airline industry. This award adds to the string of international accolades that we have received in recent times, further evidence of our continuing commitment to the highest standards of service.”

More than 600 guests attended the grand event at the Pan Pacific Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where the awards were presented by YB Dato' Sri Chan Kong Choy, Malaysia’s Minister of Transport, YBhg Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Aris Othman, Chairman of Malaysia Airports, and YBhg Dato' Seri Dato' Bashir Ahmad, Managing Director of Malaysia Airports. Lalith de Silva, SriLankan Airlines’ Country Manager for Malaysia, accepted the award on behalf of the airline.

SriLankan is the largest foreign carrier into India with 87 flights per week to 10 destinations – Mumbai, New Delhi, Madras, Trichy, Trivandrum, Calicut, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Goa and Kochi. It also has frequent services to Male and Karachi. Among the airline’s 50 destinations in 28 countries are six to the Far East and Southeast Asia – Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Beijing, as well as codeshare flights with its strategic partner Emirates to Jakarta, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.

SriLankan Airlines has in recent years won such prestigious titles as World’s Best Airline in a survey of Economy Class passengers, World’s Friendliest Cabin Staff, first runner-up for World’s Best Cabin Staff, Best Overall Inflight Entertainment (small fleet), World’s Most Efficient Operator of Airbus A330s (small fleet), Best Airline in Central Asia for four consecutive years, and Best Airline in South Asia three times.

Back

SriLankan Airlines continues to play dominant role in travel to Sri Lanka

SriLankan Airlines continues to serve an important function in carrying the vast majority of travellers and cargo to and from Sri Lanka, at a time when many airlines are reducing their levels of activity to Colombo.

The National Carrier brought in 121,729 passengers in November 2006, a healthy 67.2% of the 181,092 arrivals at BIA. Although there are approximately 20 other airlines operating regular services and charters through BIA, they collectively carried only 59,363.

SriLankan also transported 115,005 outbound passengers from the Bandaranaike International Airport, which is 66.7% of the total of 172,385 departures. Other airlines totaled  57,340.

Peter Hill, CEO of SriLankan, said: “We at SriLankan Airlines are well aware of our pivotal position in the country’s economy. The management and staff of this airline take great pride in supporting the country through thick and thin, as we have in difficult situations in the past such as the Tsunami. It is our aim to continue playing a key role in facilitating travel to and from Sri Lanka at this crucial period when the travel trade is under severe stress.”

Recent cautionary travel advisories in several European countries have had an adverse effect on Sri Lanka’s image as a holiday destination. The downturn in travel to the country from some key markets have led to airlines such as Austrian, LTU and Condor reducing services and at least one charter operator pulling out altogether.

SriLankan now serves 50 destinations in 28 countries, and is carrying out a series of promotions to encourage travel to Sri Lanka. A recent promotional offer of discounted tickets drew an excellent response in Europe, and the National Carrier’s 10 destinations in India continue to send a steady flow of holidaymakers from the neighboring Subcontinent.

“We work closely with other key players such as Sri Lanka Tourism and the travel trade in promoting Sri Lanka,” said Mr. Hill.

The National Carrier also plays a key role in transporting Sri Lankans to and from the country, including business travellers, government officials, migrant workers, Sri Lankans living overseas, and leisure travellers.

SriLankan Cargo, the cargo arm of the National Carrier, continued to play its part in supporting local export industries and also in promoting Sri Lanka as a regional hub by uplifting 31,836 metric tonnes of freight, discharging 13,572 metric tonnes, and trans-shipping 25,276 metric tonnes of freight through at BIA.

SriLankan provides important services at the Bandaranaike International Airport, where it is the ground handling agent and cargo handling agent for all airlines that use the country’s only international airport.

Back

SriLankan Air Taxi now flies into the heart of Colombo

SriLankan Air Taxi now offers passengers the ultimate in convenience, with flights from the heart of the capital city, within minutes of Colombo’s hotels and business districts.

“We now operate our amphibious Turbo Otter aircraft from the Kelani River, which is a very short drive from Fort, Kollupitiya and the rest of the city. We have no doubt that this service will be of immense benefit to tourists, businessmen, and other travellers on their way to any part of the country,” said Amith Sumanapala, General Manager, SriLankan Holidays.

Passengers board the aircraft at Air Taxi’s landing dock at Mattakkuliya, en route to any of 16 destinations around the island - Kandy (2 sites), Bentota, Nuwara Eliya, Hingurakgoda, Galle (Koggala), Weerawila, Ampara (2 sites), Katunayake, Ratmalana, Trincomalee, Katukurunda, Sigiriya, Dickwella and Anuradhapura.

“We also offer greater convenience for passengers arriving in and departing from the Bandaranaike International Airport. For example, a passenger arriving on a long flight from Europe or the Far East can save himself the 1 ½ hour road trip to Colombo by hopping on the Air Taxi,” said Sumanapala. “It’s also within hailing distance of suburbs such as Kelaniya, Kadawatha, Peliyagoda and Wattala.”

Air Taxi already operates to both of Colombo’s airport – the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, and the Colombo Airport in Ratmalana. However, the journey from the city to the airfields is less than ideal due to congested roads.

Mattakkuliya (Colombo 15) is located within the municipal limits of the city, and has easy road access to areas where Colombo’s 5-star hotels are located.

Air Taxi operates two Turbo Otter aircraft, which can land on regular airstrips or on water. The view from these aircraft is also quite spectacular, as they fly far lower than jet aircraft, giving passengers a bird’s eye view of the Paradise Isle.

The National Carrier has rapidly expanded its domestic operations which commenced two years ago, continuously adding new landing sites to provide greater convenience for passengers.

More details can be obtained from SriLankan Air Taxi on 019 733 3355.

Back

SriLankan Airlines enhances services in Middle East and expands global route network

SriLankan Airlines is enhancing its services throughout the Middle East and expanding its network by launching flights to Goa, with plans to commence services to Jeddah shortly.

Barry Brown, SriLankan Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “As a competitive international carrier, SriLankan Airlines recognizes the need to explore new markets, and to expand our services in existing ones. We are regularly reviewing our routes to see how we can best serve our passengers and adding new services wherever opportunities arise”.

Twice-weekly services to Goa began on 30th October, making it the 50th destination of the airline, and the 10th in India. This will bring the total number of Indian flights to 87 per week, maintaining SriLankan’s position as the largest foreign carrier into the country. Capacity has also been increased to two other Indian destinations, Bangalore and Calicut, by upgrading existing flights from Airbus A320s to the wide-bodied A330s.

Brown added “We expect our Goa service to be very popular, and flights have been aligned to provide the shortest possible transit time for passengers on our flights from Europe and the Middle East. The addition of Goa also gives SriLankan Airlines the unique advantage of being the only airline to connect passengers with the best beaches in South Asia, with regular flights to Colombo, the Maldives, Goa and Kerala.”

With its Winter Schedule coming into effect, arrangements are being finalized to commence flights into Jeddah, which would be its third destination in Saudi Arabia, the others being Riyadh and Dammam. Jeddah would be the airline’s 51st destination in 28 countries and this would increase to 9 the number of destinations in the Middle East, providing greater connectivity between the region and Asia.

SriLankan Airlines’ Middle East, Africa and CIS Regional Manager Mohamed Fazeel, said: “The impending launch of services to Jeddah, coupled with changes to the Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bahrain schedules, will improve our services throughout the Middle East.”

Kuwait will receive 10 flights per week, up from 9 previously. Direct flights to Bahrain from Colombo will also begin, with two flights direct and two more via Doha. This will improve capacity on flights to both Doha and Kuwait. Simultaneously, there will be an increase in capacity on existing flights to Abu Dhabi.

Connectivity has also been increased between Asian and European destinations.

Back

Goa to become SriLankan Airlines’ 50th destination

The famed Indian coastal resort town of Goa is to become SriLankan Airlines’ 50th global destination, and the 10th in India, with the airline planning to launch services from Colombo in October.

SriLankan is the largest foreign carrier operating to India, with nearly a hundred weekly flights to New Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Madras, Trichy, Trivandrum, Calicut, and Kochi.

Peter Hill, Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines, said: “We at SriLankan are acutely aware of the growing importance and opportunities of the travel market both into and out of India. SriLankan has positioned itself as the link between India and the rest of the world, and we have been steadily expanding our presence there in the last few years. We are very excited about commencing services to Goa, which we see as having excellent commercial prospects.”

The twice-weekly flights, which would be of two hours’ duration, are scheduled for Mondays and Saturdays.

Barry Brown, Chief Commercial Officer, said: “SriLankan continues to explore further opportunities by increasing our services to India, and we are currently considering launching services to more cities, as well as increasing the frequency of flights to  existing destinations.”

“We believe this service would be very useful for travellers between Goa on the one hand and our destinations in Europe and the Middle East on the other,” said N. Prabaharan, Regional Manager Sri Lanka & Indian Subcontinent. “There is also a large volume of traffic between India and Sri Lanka, which is expected to keep on increasing.”

Bilateral travel between India and Sri Lanka is at an all-time high with Indians being among the most frequent visitors to Sri Lanka. In return, Sri Lankans now rank as the third largest block of visitors to India, after the United States and Britain.

Large numbers of Indian shoppers descend on Colombo throughout the year to snap up name-brand clothing at bargain prices, as well as the island’s traditional products of tea, gemstones, and exotic handicrafts. Many Indian families also choose Sri Lanka for their vacations, with its mix of 2,500-year-old culture, wildlife parks, breathtaking scenery, and golden beaches.

The airline’s domestic arm, SriLankan Air Taxi, has made the entire island accessible within an hour, and now serves 14 destinations, with the low-flying amphibious aircraft giving a breathtaking view of the panorama of Sri Lanka, combined with the exhilaration of a landing on water.

Colombo has become a destination of choice for many Indian companies for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE tourism), taking advantage of the excellent facilities in hotels on the Indian Ocean island, and combining business with a vacation for their employees or management.

Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport is second to none in the South Asian region in terms of comfort and facilities, with its modern Pier and Aero-Bridges, well-stocked Duty Free Shopping Complex, and sophisticated Business Class Lounge.

SriLankan Airlines has in recent years achieved global recognition for its standards in excellence, winning such prestigious titles as “World’s Best Airline” in a survey of Economy Class passengers, “World’s Friendliest Cabin Staff”, first runner-up for “World’s Best Cabin Staff”, “Best Overall Inflight Entertainment (for a fleet of 20 or less)”, and “World’s Most Efficient Operator of Airbus A330s (small fleet category)” from Airbus Industrie.

SriLankan has also dominated regional awards, winning the Skytrax award for Best Airline in Central Asia for four consecutive years, as well as the TTG Asia Award for Best Airline in South Asia three times, and the Galileo Indian Express Award for the Best Eastbound International Airline from India.

Back

SriLankan Airlines has once again been adjudged to have some of the finest inflight entertainment systems in the world, being selected Second Runner-up in Best Overall Inflight Entertainment, the prize honour at the World Airline Entertainment Association’s annual Avion Awards.

Peter Hill, Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan, said: “We at SriLankan Airlines take pride in being world class in every aspect of our product, and our efforts have been rewarded with many accolades. But it is an added honour to receive awards from our peers in the industry such as the World Airline Entertainment Association”.

Founded in 1979 with its headquarters in McLean, Virginia, in the USA, the World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA) represents nearly 100 airlines and over 250 airline suppliers and related companies. The Avion Awards, now in its 18th year, honors excellence in ten categories covering audio, video, print, and interactive media.

Nigel O’Shea, Head of Service Delivery, said: “Our cabin staff are famed for warmth, caring and friendliness, and our flight punctuality earned us an award from Airbus Industrie itself. This latest Avion Award underlines our continuous commitment to excellence in yet another area - on-board entertainment”.

SriLankan has now won seven Avion Awards in the last six years, including Best Overall Inflight Entertainment in 2003 and 2004. This category is a composite score of all the individual categories in print, video, and audio. The Best Overall Inflight Entertainment had two groups, with SriLankan in the Small Fleet (24 or fewer aircraft) class.

Entertainment was judged on originality, suitability, production value, content, and balance. The panel of judges included leading media executives, critics, producers, editors, and academics from Australia, Brazil, India, Italy, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The awards were held in Miami Beach, Florida.

SriLankan now flies to 50 destinations in 28 countries. Its fleet includes Airbus A340 and A330 aircraft on which each seat has an 18-channel seat-back television, 22-channel audio and 16 video games, with Business Class having a choice of videos as well.

Among SriLankan’s other awards are World’s Best Airline in a survey of Economy class passengers, World’s Friendliest Cabin Staff, First Runner-Up for World’s Best Cabin Staff, and Best Airline in the Central Asia / Subcontinent region four consecutive years.


Back

SriLankan Airlines has extended its Electronic ticketing (E-ticket) facility for tickets purchased through most travel agents, increasing the level of convenience for passengers who no longer need to carry traditional paper tickets.

A simple printout of the booking combined with a valid passport is all passengers need to present at the airport. Payment can be made by credit card and travel agents can send the printout via e-mail or fax, which saves customers a trip to the travel agency.

“The facility was already available for tickets obtained from SriLankan Airlines’ ticket offices or our website www.srilankan.aero and now we have extended it to those who prefer to purchase tickets from their travel agents,” said Kapila Bandara, SriLankan’s E-Commerce Manager.
“With an E-ticket it is also impossible to lose or damage one’s ticket, since a new printout can be easily obtained from any computer or fax machine” he added.

E-ticketing through travel agents was launched last month after trials between SriLankan Airlines, selected travel agents, and their reservation system suppliers named Galileo, Amadeus and Abacus.

Srilankan Acquires Seven Aircraft in Ambitious Growth Plan

SriLankan Airlines is acquiring seven more aircraft in an ambitious growth plan that will increase flights to existing destinations, open new routes and launch Air Taxi services within Sri Lanka.