SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka and a member of the oneworld alliance, will be launching daily non-stop services to Melbourne from its capital Colombo, from October 29 this year, according to a press release.
The new route, which was announced during the recent Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, will offer seamless connections to Middle East visitors heading to Australia through their Colombo airport hub, as well as myriad onward connection possibilities to other cities in Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island nations through their onewold partner Qantas' comprehensive network.
SriLankan Airlines’ CEO Captain Suren Ratwatte said, “Our presence in Australia cements the long-standing relationship between our two countries. We recently celebrated the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our nations, and the addition of Melbourne signifies our strategy of optimising the airline’s network in line with our restructuring.
“This also means that we have connected another continent to our global route map. On the other hand, given the number of Sri Lankans residing in and around Victoria, we fulfill a long-felt need for a direct service. We are proud to welcome all the diverse residents of Victoria who can now enjoy the direct connections when visiting their friends and families throughout our network.”
The airline will be operating Airbus 330-200 aircraft on the route, offering its passengers modern in-flight comforts.
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