SriLankan Air Taxi adds destinations

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

SriLankan Airlines Air Taxi service which resumed operations last December is gearing to meet growth in the tourism industry by providing value-added services to locals and foreign tourists.

The recommenced SriLankan Air Taxi service is expected to boost the tourism industry. An aircraft of its air taxi service in the Bentota lagoon. Picture by Sulochana Gamage

With plans to localize the service at present operated by a Canadian crew, the taxi service is planning to expand its destinations to include more attractive places.

The air taxi service was in operation from 2004 to 2007 and was suspended due to security reasons. In keeping with the government’s request to recommence the service it was re-launched last December, SriLankan Airlines Flight Operations, Administration and Technical Projects Manager Pulasthi Jayasingha said.

“The commercial flights are operated to Bentota, Koggala, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Dikwella. We are looking at destinations in the North and East to include Pasikudah and Arugam Bay for potential landing points,” he said.

“We are planning to include Jaffna, Trincomalee and Arugam Bay within one month and have already commence flights to Dambulla from last week. SriLankan is having the advantage of connectivity and will provide its passengers the benefit of direct connectivity from their respective destinations,” SriLankan Products Development Manager Sanjeeva Jayatileke said.

The expansion of destinations will enable passengers to have connectivity and this service will be promoted in the Middle-East, Far East, Europe and China he said emphasizing that awareness and public appeal is vital to turnaround the service.

The Air taxi service has two aircraft from Kenn Borek Air Limited Canada operated on a wet lease and the lease is due to end December 2012.

“With the lease expiry, we are planning to localize operations and also looking at adding more aircraft to the fleet with the expected influx of tourists,” Jayatileke said.