More SriLankan flights to Goa, Coimbatore

Airline to upgrade services to India

BY A CORRESPONDENT
February 10, 2006

SriLankan has announced its interest in adding new flights to popular tourist destination Goa, as well as textile stronghold Coimbatore by next winter. According to Mohamed Fazeel, the regional manager for the Middle East, Africa and CIS, the airline will also be upgrading the flight to Kozhikode from A320 to A330, to increase capacity by 15%.

Flights to Kozhikode will be easier on passengers as the larger craft will allow more baggage space. Fazeel stressed that the nine flights a week to the popular Kerala destination would be maintained. Currently, the airline caters to nine destinations in India with 85 weekly flights.

Since India contributes to about 40% of the airlines' business, SriLankan has said that some of the 20% increase in revenue for the airlines this year will be channelised into providing better service to its Indian passengers as well as into improving the loads on the Doha-Abu Dhabi-Colombo flights. The airline has announced the addition of two flights from Doha to Colombo, depending on the availability of a new leased aircraft. Flights are likely to commence this summer.

SriLankan also said that a new scheme has been devised for its Indian passengers. The scheme allows a passenger traveling to India to also visit Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, for an additional $75 (QR273). Fazeel added: "we are upgrading our product to India."

Improvements have been incorporated into flight services. These improvements have been devised according to the results of a survey on passenger preferences and include a child minder stewardess. Fazeel said, "We found that when children are taken care of, most Indian passengers enjoy their flights more."

The airlines generates huge inflows of revenue in the Doha market with an increase of 61% in business from last year. It is also looking to operate flights to Australia and South Africa depending on flight availability.