SriLankan Airlines to begin flights to New York, Beijing
COLOMBO, Tuesday (AFP) - Sri Lanka's national carrier
will shortly launch flights to New York and Beijing as part of an
ambitious route expansion, the airline said Tuesday.
SriLankan Airlines said the Colombo to New York service
would begin from March 27 while Beijing would be added to its
destinations from June 17.
"We are commencing an exciting new daily return service
from Colombo to New York's JFK Airport on March 27th which opens up a
whole new market for SriLankan Airlines," the airline's chief executive
Peter Hill said in a statement.
He added, without elaborating, that the flight would be
a codeshare service with Emirates.
The airline also said it would also increase its flights
to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and India as well as Europe and the
Middle East as part of its expansion plans.
SriLankan Airlines will operate three weekly services to
Beijing via Bangkok. The airline's managing director Tim Clark said he
expected considerable growth from the Chinese market.
"We see tremendous scope for us both in passenger and
cargo markets in China," Clark said in remarks published in the
company's latest annual accounts. "Our research predicts that Sri Lanka
and the Maldives will rapidly grow into popular tourist destinations
with the Chinese leisure traveller." |
