British Airways praises the country after returning to Sri Lanka

Mr. David Wright, General Manager for South Asia at British Airways, stated that Sri Lanka has always been an extremely important market for British Airways, and the success Sri Lanka achieved in economic growth and tourist arrivals after COVID-19 was the reason for the airline to resume its flights to Sri Lanka.

He made these remarks at a press conference held recently in Colombo to mark the resumption of British Airways' flight operations to Sri Lanka after an 11-year hiatus.

"There is a very deep cultural and historical relationship between Sri Lanka and Britain. That's why we have always kept an eye on the Sri Lankan market. In the last few years, we saw Sri Lanka record very good economic growth and tourist arrivals after COVID-19. That's why we thought this winter was the best time to resume our operations to Sri Lanka."

Accordingly, British Airways is ready to operate its services between Colombo and London Gatwick Airport throughout the entire winter season. It is also stated that a special discounted fare starting from Rs. 255,000 for a single trip has been introduced. Mr. David Wright mentioned that this fare, which will be active for a few weeks, will be determined by future success.

Unlike on previous occasions, this time British Airways will operate direct flights only between the two countries, without flying via the Maldives, which is a special feature. Furthermore, British Airways has also made arrangements for cargo transportation in addition to passenger transport.

Hayleys Advantis acts as British Airways' General Sales Agent (GSA) in Sri Lanka, and the company also supports the airline's commercial and sales operations. Ruwan Waidyaratne, Managing Director of Hayleys Advantis, commented that the return of the airline to the country will bring high-spending tourists, which will strengthen the tourism industry. He also stated that facilitating cargo transportation will benefit local exporters, including the apparel industry, to the European region. British Airways' Boeing 777 aircraft will be used for this flight service, which operates three days a week.