SriLankan Airlines back to Russia
On September 17th, 2011 the national air carrier of Sri Lanka resumed scheduled service to from Colombo to Moscow, twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Addressing the attendees of the press-conference in Moscow, dedicated to introducing of the new flight, the country’s Ambassador to Russia Mr. Udayanga Weeratunga reported 100% flights occupancy by Russian tourists as wells as by Srilankan business travellers, students and tourists.
The SriLankan Airline president Mr. Nishanter Weekramasingher said that the airline is ready and willing to operate five flights between Moscow and Colombo every week and later to bring the numbr of weekly services to seven. “As for now the matter is being envisaged by the Russian Ministry of Transport. Five flights per week will allow us to operate non-stop service from Moscow to Colombo, which will take 8.5 hours. As of today aircrafts make a stopover in Dubai in order to change the crew after the long flight, it takes around 45-50 minutes so the total flight time comes to 10 hours” – he explained.
Since 1960s there had been direct air traffic between Russia and Sri Lanka, but it was eventually interrupted in 2004 after the island suffered the tsunami and its tourist infrastructure was destroyed. But lately the demand for the destination has been steadily growing. “In the pre-recession year of 2008 we recorded almost 500% growth of the tourist flow. Then there was a slight fall, but in 2010 Sri Lanka welcomed 13 thousand Russian tourists. As of August 2011 the tourist flow grew by 28%. We hope that the introduction of the direct flight will contribute to even bigger growth, moreove the most popular vacation season on the island is November-December” – said the Ambassador.
Until recently the Russians travelers could reach the island by seasonal charter flights, offered by Russian tour operators, or by foreign airlines with a stopover in other countries. Now the situation has changed. And in November Aeroflot is to start twice-weekly services to Sri Lanka. “We don’t mind many carriers working the destination. It only contributes to tourism development, and the Russian market is very important for us. The airlines should compete in service and prices” – the Ambassador pointed out.
Mr. Weekramasingher added that the air carrier was ready to offer good bargains to Russian tour operators and to work in close partnership with them, even though the demand for the flights is very strong anyway.
