SriLankan Airlines to get more aircraft, increase flights

Aug 13, 2010 (LBO) - SriLankan Airlines is planning to support the country’s rapidly-growing tourism industry with a planned increase in worldwide flights and to acquire two more aircraft this year, a statement said. The national carrier plans additional capacity to Paris, Frankfurt, Milan, Rome, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Karachi and many cities in India.

"The aircraft fleet will be significantly expanded to cater to these operations, and its existing fleet modernised," the statement said.

"One wide-bodied Airbus A330-200 arrived in July, and two A320s are likely during late 2010."

SriLankan’s long term plan for the next five years is being drawn up to support Sri Lanka’s tourism industry in particular and our nation’s economic growth in general," said Mohamed Fazeel, SriLankan’s Head of Worldwide Sales.

"Our plan envisages almost a doubling of our fleet, and greatly increased capacity to most of our existing destinations.

The island's 30-year ethnic war ended in May 2009 resulting in an economic revival with growth forecast at seven percent this year.

Tourist arrivals have also increased sharply, growing by 48.4 percent in the first six months of 2010 t