Hainan flies here on Oct. 18
Ravi LADDUWAHETTY
Hainan Airways, China’s fourth largest international airline in terms
of fleet will launch its maiden flight to Colombo on October 18. The
Chinese airline, will also have four weekly flights to Colombo via
Bangkok, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, will arrive
in Colombo on all days at 1720 and depart to Beijing at 1900 hours on
the same day.
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Air Global appointed as General Sales Agent for Hainan
Airways opened its office at RA De Mel Mawatha, yesterday.
Here, Dangodage Ranatunge the first Colombo customer of the
airline purchasing his ticket. Hayleys Group Chairman Mohan
Pandithage looks on. Picture by Sumanachandra Ariyawansa |
“We will be flying a Boeing 737-800 aircraft to Colombo which will
have eight business class seats and 154 economy class seats initially
and we will upgrade our aircraft at the time that Colombo-bound traffic
improves,” Hainan Airways Colombo General Manager Brian Yang told Daily
News Business yesterday.
The opening ceremony of the offices of Air Global (Pvt) Ltd, the
Hayleys Leisure Holdings subsidiary which has been appointed as the
General Sales Agents for Hainan Airways took place at R.A. De Mel
Mawatha yesterday. Air Global Manager Sudeshini Jayawardena said with
the passage of time, the airline will extend the Colombo service to Male
as well.
“There are a large number of Chinese tourists who like the sea
beaches who already go to Male and they will now come to Colombo as well
in addition to a large number of Chinese employees for Sri Lankan
projects. But, the religious tourism segment is something that has to be
promoted,” she said. Asked whether there was a promotion of religious
tourism among Chinese tourism, she said that it was the mandate of Sri
Lanka Tourism Board. “We are promoting the Colombo/ Bangkok/Beijing
sector as well as there are a lot of Sri Lankans who now prefer to tour
Beijing over Bangkok,” she said.
She also said Hainan enjoys exclusivity of Terminal One of the
Beijing Capital International Airport.
Hayleys Group Chairman Mohan Pandithage, in his opening remarks at
the launch of the new GSA office said Hayleys has been in airline
representation for over 15 years and that he was passionate about
expanding the airline portfolio of the Group.
He also thanked the Civil Aviation Authority for expediting the entry
of Hainan into Sri Lanka. |
