Bangkok--5 Jan--Mileage (Thai)
SriLankan Airlines has announced its return to the fabled city of Rome from December 2008, its first new destination since the management of the National Carrier changed hands last April.
The addition of new destinations to its route network is one of several steps in SriLankan Airlines’ prudent plan to transform itself. Since April, the airline successfully weathered the challenge of high fuel prices by increasing operational efficiencies across the board.
The National Carrier is closely supporting the Government’s plans and policies to revive tourism and investment. SriLankan Airlines and Sri Lanka Tourism are also focusing on bringing increased numbers of Italian tourists to Sri Lanka, which has traditionally been a popular destination among European tourists.
The new thrice-weekly service, which will be operated on Airbus A340 widebodied aircraft, will take the route Colombo-Rome-Paris-Rome-Colombo, on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The flight to Colombo will be of 10 hours duration from Rome.
The service will be particularly convenient for Italians travelling to the sunny resorts in the Maldives. Italy is the largest country of origin of tourists to the Maldives, with more than 120,000 visitors annually. SriLankan Airlines is the largest operator to the Maldives, with a total of 21 flights a week from Colombo, London, and Tokyo. Male is a short 75-minute flight from Colombo.
SriLankan also has convenient connections from Colombo throughout the Far East, including Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Beijing. It is one of the largest carriers into India, where it serves 11 cities.
The flight, UL563, will originate in Colombo at 1 a.m, and arrive at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport at the convenient time of 7 a.m. It will depart Rome at 8 a.m and reach Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris at 10:10 a.m.
The return journey, UL564, will commence from Paris at 11:50 a.m. and arrive in Rome at 1:45 p.m. Takeoff from Rome is scheduled at 2:45 p.m. for Colombo, where it will touch down at 5 a.m. the next day. (All times are local).
With the addition of Rome, SriLankan will have a network of 45 destinations in 25 countries across Europe, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, and the Far East. Rome was among several destinations to which SriLankan suspended services in 2001, when the global airline industry faced a crisis following September 11.
Media Relations
Corporate Affairs Department
SriLankan Airlines
www.srilankan.aero
For more information on the press release,
Please contact Khun Vichai Lertritchai
(662) 637 7878 or (6681) 871 4588
or Khun Chonticha Choochart (6681) 440-3896