On 27 October 2014 at 23:30 hrs Cathay Pacific Airways welcomed the first ever scheduled non-stop flight from Hong Kong. Flight CX 611 from Hong Kong was greeted with a water cannon salute to mark an important milestone in the history of aviation between the two countries. The arriving crew were greeted with flowers, followed by a cake cutting ceremony.
Check-in for CX 610 to Hong Kong on the same evening was opened with the traditional lamp lighting ceremony. The ceremonial lamp was lit by invitees from Airport Management, Ground Handling Agent – Sri Lankan Airlines, Anna Choi, Country Manager – Sri Lanka and Maldives as well as the first passenger to check-in for the flight.
“CX has been operating in Sri Lanka for over twenty years and today marks an important milestone for us as we celebrate the launch of the first ever direct flight between the two cities. We are confident that our customers would now enjoy their experience even more with our new in-flight products, shorter flying times and new and improved connections to many more destinations across our network,” says Anna Choi.

 

Source : http://www.ft.lk/2014/10/31/colombo-welcomes-first-hong-kong-non-stop-flight/