Oct 05, 2016 (LBO) - SriLankan airlines said in a bid to boost regional routes and higher profits it will add Jakarta in Indonesia and Gan Island in Maldives to its destinations from end of October 2016.
"Gan, in the Maldives, will be the first such new destination, and SriLankan will be the only international airline serving Gan," Capt. Suren Ratwatte, chief executive of the airline said.
"Other potential destinations in India and South East Asia are being evaluated and will be introduced as the narrow-body fleet deliveries come on stream from the next financial year," he said.
The strategic decision to position the airline as a regional player has been followed up by rationalization of its fleet to consist of more narrow-body aircraft rather than A350s, which are meant for long haul destinations.
"The network rationalization has seen some unprecedented decisions having been made on the routes," he said.
"By the first week of November, routes to Continental Europe will no longer be operated by the airline. SriLankan’s gateway to Europe will be London, with Continental Europe being served by a number of code shares with partners, offering passengers a seamless product."
This decision too was the result of a careful study of the network, he added.
"While the strategy of network rationalization is not uncommon in most airlines’ restructuring, SriLankan further recognized that rationalization alone will not bring about sustainability,"
"It has identified certain new markets which it can serve profitably, as well as existing destinations that can be served with increased frequencies."
| Destination |
Code |
Commencement Date |
| Jakarta (Indonesia) |
CGK |
30-Oct |
| Dhaka (Bangladesh) |
DAC |
30-Oct |
| Madurai (India) |
IXM |
30-Oct |
| Muscat (Oman) |
MCT |
30-Oct |
| Bahrain |
BAH |
31-Oct |
| Seychelles |
SEZ |
31-Oct |
| Lahore (Pakistan) |
LHE |
27-Sep |
| Kolkata (India) |
CCU |
30-Oct |
| Varanasi (India) |
VNS |
01-Nov |
| Gaya (India) |
GAY |
Summer 2017 |
| Gan Island (Maldives) |
GAN |
01- Dec |
