Move to consolidate position:

SriLankan to launch direct flights to Jakarta

Hiran H. Senewiratne in Berlin
 

Nishantha Wickramasinghe

SriLankan Airlines will launch direct flights to Jakarta (Indonesia) shortly to consolidate its position following the termination of the Emirates management contract, said its Actg. Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe.

He said that when the government took over the airline from Emirates, several people thought that the airline would crash, because we took over when the whole industry was in a crisis globally.

Today, SriLankan Airlines is functioning well despite all odds. It manages more than 13 aircraft in the fleet and will expand its sectors gradually, he said.

The Chairman said that SriLankan Airlines is very optimistic about its operations and performance as other leading airlines especially Cathay Pacific and Emirates are facing a major crisis due to the global recession.

He said that SriLankan airlines is offering special packages to different sectors to promote the airline globally by adopting effective cost cutting measures in view of the current global financial crisis.

Wickramasinghe said the airline is now in the process of removing the 18-year old five A320 narrowed body aircraft for three new A320 wide body aircraft to provide an efficient service to its clientele.

SriLankan Airlines aircraft

He said they have also set up a Research and Development (R and D) unit to enhance fuel efficiency in the aircraft in the fleet. They are also planning to launch flights to Rome and Frankfurt via the Maldives soon.

At present they have direct flights to Rome and Frankfurt. With these new developments SriLankan Airlines will launch direct flights to Australia by next year, he said. He also said that SriLankan is a network carrier, with rapid connections that link Europe and the Middle East on one side with Southeast Asia and the Far East on the other.

It is also one of the largest foreign carriers operating to India, with 90 weekly flights to 11 destinations and the largest carrier into the Maldives with direct flights from Europe. SriLankan now serves 45 destinations in 25 countries in Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Far East.

The major destinations include London, Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Rome, Hong Kong, Beijing, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Dubai. SriLankan Airlines, which began operations in 1979, has re-invented itself in the recent past, winning numerous global awards and establishing a firm reputation as a leader among Asian airlines in service, comfort, reliability and punctuality.

As the national carrier of Sri Lanka, SriLankan is proud to take to the air the qualities of warmth, caring and friendliness that are a distinct part of Sri Lanka’s culture, he said.