SriLankan Airlines, which commenced operation on September 1, 1979 with Colombo – Bangkok service, recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. The carrier has contributed significantly to the growth of Sri Lanka’s economy.
“Our objective is to become the most customer-centric airline in Asia, both in the air and on the ground, building on our four decades of excellence in customer service for which we have won numerous international accolades with our emphasis on safety, punctuality and service,” Vipula Gunatilleka, Group CEO, SriLankan Airlines, said in a press statement.
The CEO further said: “Our staff has been our biggest strength and we look to them to ring in many changes to help SriLankan evolve. Next year, new destinations such as Ahmedabad, Calicut, Katmandu, Saigon and Sydney will be added and several code-share agreements have been finalized with carriers from Africa, Middle East and the Far East to bridge the gaps in our network. What do we do to reduce carbon emissions and use of plastic on board? We are implementing many cost saving initiatives including fuel saving measures for our fleet. At the same time, the impact of global terrorism, trade tensions and climate change must be addressed.”
SriLankan Airlines offers a lot of services through its Ground Handling, Catering, Cargo, Engineering and Holidays division. The carrier also runs SriLankan Aviation College to develop a skilled manpower for the country’s growing aviation industry.
The airline has now embarked upon a new Business Plan that is aimed at turning around the company to profitability in the shortest possible time, the carrier said in a statement.
Today, SriLankan offers a route network of 109 cities in 48 countries including codeshare operations. It is the largest carrier to both Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and the largest foreign airline in India.
