Lankan Ranger
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Sharp Increase in India Sri Lanka Flights
India because of its cultural ties is fast becoming the biggest-ever tourism source market for Sri Lanka with the number of flights set to rise by almost three fold from a current 100 flights per week, travel industry sources said.
The Civil Aviation Secretaries of both countries held bilateral discussions last week in New Delhi supported by their delegations on the number of frequencies and on the cards is an increase of flights to Chennai in South India to 40 per week from a current 15.
Likewise, frequencies to New Delhi are being doubled to 14 from a current seven per week. We are going to see a sharp increase in traffic from India and are preparing for more flights along with new planes, one source said.
The Chennai increase is a virtual open skies policy with a flight set to leave Colombo every 4/5 hours daily at the rate of six flights a week. Civil Aviation officials involved in the discussion declined to comment but the formal approval (from Indian authorities) is expected in the next two weeks. Indian airlines too will enjoy the same number of frequencies to Colombo and back.
India is Sri Lankas biggest tourism-source market, beating traditional markets like the UK and Germany. Travel industry sources said India has a free skies policy in 18 cities while flights are restricted to the six metros where SriLankan Airlines flies Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Calcutta.
Mihin Air will also benefit from the increased frequencies.
The sources said that much of the traffic (60-70%) to Chennai and back is what is called through passengers those who fly to India, the Far East and Singapore using Colombo as a transit base.
Sharp increase in frequencies to India
India because of its cultural ties is fast becoming the biggest-ever tourism source market for Sri Lanka with the number of flights set to rise by almost three fold from a current 100 flights per week, travel industry sources said.
The Civil Aviation Secretaries of both countries held bilateral discussions last week in New Delhi supported by their delegations on the number of frequencies and on the cards is an increase of flights to Chennai in South India to 40 per week from a current 15.
Likewise, frequencies to New Delhi are being doubled to 14 from a current seven per week. We are going to see a sharp increase in traffic from India and are preparing for more flights along with new planes, one source said.
The Chennai increase is a virtual open skies policy with a flight set to leave Colombo every 4/5 hours daily at the rate of six flights a week. Civil Aviation officials involved in the discussion declined to comment but the formal approval (from Indian authorities) is expected in the next two weeks. Indian airlines too will enjoy the same number of frequencies to Colombo and back.
India is Sri Lankas biggest tourism-source market, beating traditional markets like the UK and Germany. Travel industry sources said India has a free skies policy in 18 cities while flights are restricted to the six metros where SriLankan Airlines flies Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Calcutta.
Mihin Air will also benefit from the increased frequencies.
The sources said that much of the traffic (60-70%) to Chennai and back is what is called through passengers those who fly to India, the Far East and Singapore using Colombo as a transit base.
Sharp increase in frequencies to India
