(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) –India’s Indigo airlines commenced direct flights between Mumbai and Colombo, Friday, Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Pvt) Limited (AASL) said.
Accordingly, Indigo will operate flights three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
At present, Indigo operates to three destinations in India from Colombo (Chennai twice daily, Bengaluru once daily, and Hyderabad six days per week).
With this new route expansion, this will increase to four destinations, and it will contribute immensely to the development of travel, trade, and tourism between Sri Lanka and India, AASL said.
With the new addition, Indigo will operate 30 weekly flights to Colombo from four main cities in India.
Meanwhile, Eng. Athula Galketiya, Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Pvt) Limited (AASL) said that AASL recently had successful negotiations with Indigo to commence flight operations between Jaffna and Chennai, India.
Accordingly, Indigo will commence direct flight operations between Jaffna and Chennai from the 1st of June 2024 onwards with daily flight operations.
This connectivity will boost travel and trade in the Northern Province, strengthening the cultural and religious bonds between the two nations.
In 2022, the country welcomed 716,427 tourists by air, a figure that surged to 1,452,310 in 2023, indicating a substantial increase.
The trend continued into 2024, with 628,580 tourists arriving in the first three months alone, highlighting sustained interest in Sri Lanka as a destination.
Looking ahead, projections indicate a further rise, with expectations of 2.2 to 2.4 million tourists by the end of 2024.
