Cathay to invest more in Lanka

Text and Pix by Indunil Hewage

The tourism potential in Sri Lanka has created more opportunities for Cathay Pacific Airlines to bring more people to Sri Lanka, says Edward Coles-Gale, Country Manager, Cathay Pacific, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

"The Sri Lanka tourism industry is showing growth prospects. Cathay Pacific will continue to increase access to the Island through its Hong Kong hub."

"In addition, it is great to see the growth of the infrastructure and we are fully geared to reap the post - war opportunities in the country. We are planning on investing in the right areas, particularly to introduce more refreshing products to the Sri Lankan market, where we have seen a growth in terms of air passenger numbers and air cargo operations", Coles-Gale said.

Commenting on the future outlook of the aviation industry in Sri Lanka, Coles-Gale said that the investments in infrastructure would be a great help not only for aviation, but also for the whole economy of the country."

In Sri Lanka, Cathay is the preferred airline for apparel exporters to USA and Europe, mainly because of the quick connections from Hong Kong. "In addition, perishable cargo which includes Tuna to Japan and US too is growing."

According to Coles-Gale, currently Cathay Pacific airline has no intention of flying to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport and is happy with its existing capacity at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

"In 2012, Cathay Pacific launched a dedicated freighter service from Hong Kong to Chennai and Chennai to Colombo, which had helped Sri Lanka to connect with the global market and we are quite happy with the positive feedbacks received from the passengers who have travelled so far."

"We have a strong 'one world' presence in Sri Lanka and Cathay passengers will now have the opportunity of experiencing new products," Coles-Gale said.

Cathay Pacific is a full-service carrier and the largest cargo carrier in the world.