Sri Lankan Air increases frequency to Goa

Sri Lankan Airlines has scored a century of scheduled foreign flights per week to India by adding a third weekly flight to Goa.

The feat was achieved by Sri Lankan Airlines recently when they launched their third weekly scheduled flight to Goa. With this, the airline has now 100 flights connecting to 10 Indian cities.

Sri Lankan Airlines has 15 weekly flights to Chennai, twice daily to Mumbai, 13 to Thiruvananthapuram, 11 to Kochi, 10 to Trichy, 3 weekly flights to Goa, 8 to Calicut, and daily to New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.

"Customer demand for our services to Goa has been steadily building up and we are very pleased to offer an additional weekly service," says Manoj Gunawardena, Sri Lankan Airlines' Head of Worldwide Passenger Sales.

"This not only brings in greater seat capacity on the route but also gives our customers more flexibility in planning their journeys," he adds.

It offers rapid connections to Goa and Colombo for flights from Europe, the Middle East, Far East and South East Asia.

"Goa is a popular destination among European tourists and the airlines, with its relaxed lifestyle, pristine beaches, vibrant nightlife and excellent hotels," says Senaka Fernando, Sri Lankan Airlines' Regional Manager for India.

"A large number of Goans were visiting Sri Lanka, which is culturally similar, and also travelling onward to other parts of the globe. Our latest flight especially enhances connectivity between the Middle East and Goa via Colombo," she added.

The airline is also promoting their country's tourism with its Tourist Board by offering return air-tickets along with accommodation from the starting price range of Rs 9,999 which is valid till April 30, 2007.

According to the information available with the Sri Lankan Airlines, the number of Indian tourists arriving in Sri Lanka is expected to cross 1.50 lakh mark this year amidst terrorist strikes, as compared to 1.10 lakh during last fiscal.

With the launch of services to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia this month, Sri Lankan serves 51 international destinations in 28 countries. Its domestic service, Sri Lankan Air Taxi, has 14 destinations within Sri Lanka.