SriLankan Airlines to operate 88 weekly flights to India: Fawzan Fareid

Airline to promote short stopovers by transit passengers to boost tourism to Sri Lanka
2024-10-07
/
/ New Delhi
SriLankan Airlines to operate 88 weekly flights to India from October
SriLankan Airlines to operate 88 weekly flights to India: Fawzan Fareid

Sri Lanka has experienced a significant 62 pc year-on-year growth in tourist arrivals this year

India is a key market for SriLankan Airlines, not just for passengers travelling to Sri Lanka, but also those travelling to onward destinations, which account for 45 pc of total Indian traffic, Fawzan Fareid, Regional Manager, India, Bangladesh & Nepal, tells India Outbound in an interview. He adds that the airline is steadily adding capacity to Indian market and says the airline is on its way to exceed the pre-pandemic connectivity as its fleet expands.
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How many flights does SriLankan operate to India? How does it compare with 2019? 

We will be operating 88 weekly flights when the Winter 2024 schedule takes effect this October. This puts us at just over 70 pc of our pre-pandemic weekly schedule to India, but we plan to reach and exceed 100 pc as our fleet expands in the near future. Our goal is to leverage the rapidly growing Indian outbound market by initially adding extra frequencies to existing cities, offering more flexibility to customers. 

How has your penetration of Indian market evolved in terms of connecting Indian airports with Colombo?

We are fully aware that India is our key source market for tourism, and recognise the importance of maintaining a steady flow of Indian tourists to Sri Lanka in line with national tourism objectives.  We operate from major Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad as well as secondary cities like Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli. Additionally, we have strategically increased frequencies on popular routes, offering multiple daily flights between Colombo and cities like Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

Our focus remains on providing customers with attractive offers and outstanding service to maintain a strong position in India amid growing competition. Overall, SriLankan’s evolution in the Indian market has been positive with steady increases in connectivity. 

How has 2024 been for you? What are the trends in the Indian market now?

Sri Lanka has experienced a significant 62 pc year-on-year growth in tourist arrivals this year, surpassing the one million tourist milestone in June. Over 20 pc of these arrivals are from India, and we expect around 600,000 Indian visitors to Sri Lanka by the end of the year. These statistics indicate that Sri Lanka is on track to achieve its tourism targets for 2024. Notably, SriLankan Airlines carries approximately 70 pc of Sri Lanka’s inbound tourists from India. We continue to expand our presence in the Indian market through strategic marketing and PR initiatives, as well as by adding capacity to top-performing routes, which record a load factor of over 80 pc.      

What is the share of your passengers going to Sri Lanka and those on onward journeys?

SriLankan Airlines is a sought-after hub carrier, connecting our Indian passengers to Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Oceania via our hub at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo. We are particularly known for being a convenient transit point for flights from South India due to the proximity to Sri Lanka. Currently, point-to-point traffic makes up about 55 pc of our total traffic, with transit traffic accounting for the rest. However, our strategy is to promote dual-destination holidays with short stopovers in Sri Lanka for travellers transiting through Colombo for a nominal additional cost. We are well-positioned to offer this value-added holiday experience to Indian passengers, and we expect the composition of transit versus point-to-point traffic to shift in the future.    

Which segment has performed the best? Leisure, MICE or Groups?

Leisure travel, particularly beach holidays, followed by adventure and eco travel, has been the most popular in the past. Many Indian organisations are also choosing Sri Lanka for corporate events and conferences, and over time, we expect MICE tourism to account for 25 pc of total arrivals from India, with our strong network covering nine Indian cities, from Delhi to Madurai, facilitating this growth.

Ramayana Trail tours are now gaining significant traction, as is bleisure travel, which combines business and leisure. Additionally, SriLankan Airlines is collaborating with a popular Indian hotel chain to promote Sri Lanka as a premier wedding destination.

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