Passengers will have increased flights to India with national carrier SriLankan Airlines doubling up its flying frequency to the neighboring giant.

SriLankan Airlines announced yesterday that it would increase its service to India to 88 flights per week to match the pre-COVID-19 levels.

The new weekly flight schedule will be in effect starting from March 27, when India will open its skies to international passenger flights.

SriLankan said its customers too would be doubly rewarded by the airline expanding its flight frequencies at the same time that India does away with air travel bubble limitations this upcoming summer season. 

“Coupled together, it will effectively provide SriLankan Airlines’ passengers enhanced flight options and connectivity between India and destinations in the Maldives, Far East, Oceania, Europe and the Middle East,” SriLankan said in a statement.

SriLankan continued to proactively expand into these markets during the past two years in spite of the many challenges arising from the pandemic. Accordingly, the airline launched operations to Seoul, Sydney, Kathmandu, Frankfurt, Paris and Moscow between 2020 and 2021, while maintaining flights to the majority of its destinations in the pre-pandemic schedule.

The airline expects to further establish its current network of routes within the next year for the benefit of passengers.  

The airline’s Indian network currently covers the following cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Kochi, Chennai, Trichy, Madurai and Bangalore.

The reopening of Indian skies would allow a passenger to book a SriLankan Airlines’ flight from any of these Indian cities to any other online destination via Colombo. Similarly, the passengers originating from non-Indian cities within the airline’s network could connect to any of the nine Indian cities that the airline flies to via Colombo.