(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – SriLankan Airlines will be establishing its presence in Australia with daily non-stop services to Melbourne commencing October 29 this year, the airline said.
The non-stop services will also facilitate passengers from the Middle East and South Asia seeking onward connectivity via Colombo to/from Australia, a statement said.
“This also means that we have connected another continent to our global route map,” said Captain Suren Ratwatte, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SriLankan Airlines.
“Given the number of Sri Lankans residing in and around Victoria, we fulfil a long felt need for a direct service.”
The Airline will be operating Airbus 330-200 aircraft on the route, offering its passengers modern in-flight comforts complemented with its award winning service and the world renowned Sri Lankan warmth and hospitality.
“Our direct services will give us a definite advantage as SriLankan is the only carrier that is able to offer connectivity of this nature at this time,” Siva Ramachandran, Chief Commercial Officer, SriLankan Airlines said.
“With the launch of the new services, SriLankan Airlines’ passengers will also have the choice of flying to other Australian cities such as Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide as well as Auckland, New Zealand. SriLankan Airlines will continue to explore potential expansion opportunities across its network in order to facilitate the envisaged growth in business.”
More importantly, Australia accounts for one of the largest Sri Lankan communities living outside Sri Lanka, out of which almost 50 per cent lives in and around Victoria, making Melbourne the convenient terminus for their departures and arrivals.
These operations will further complement the existing double daily services offered by SriLankan Airlines between Sri Lanka and Australia via Singapore and Kuala Lumpur with its codeshare partners, Qantas and Malaysia Airlines.
