SriLankan Airlines yesterday extended its route network with the launch of daily non-stop services to Melbourne, providing travellers with a convenient option to visit Australia via rapid connections in Colombo.

SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ajith Dias said: “We at SriLankan Airlines are delighted to launch this new service, which we have no doubt will be of great convenience to all segments of travellers, including the large number of Sri Lankans domiciled in Australia, the many Australians who love to travel overseas and people throughout Asia who visit Down Under.”

Sri Lankan expatriates and students form a large and significant community in Australia, and frequently travel back to their native country.

Many of them reside in Melbourne and other cities in the state of Victoria and neighbouring New South Wales, with smaller numbers throughout the rest of Australia and New Zealand.

SriLankan Airlines CEO Captain Suren Ratwatte said: “We have been extending our route network in a systemic manner throughout Asia – from the Middle East to the Far East – and can now provide Australian travellers excellent options in connectivity, with one-stop journeys to the most popular destinations via Colombo.”

A member of the prestigious oneworld global airline alliance, SriLankan offers convenient connections to 14 cities throughout India, nine in the Middle East and other destinations such as Male and Gan Island in the Maldives and Seychelles. SriLankan also operates one-stop twice-daily services between Sri Lanka and Australia with its codeshare partners Qantas and Malaysia Airlines.

Passengers will enjoy the comforts of the airline’s modern Airbus A330 aircraft between Melbourne and Colombo, with flatbeds in Business Class, sophisticated in-flight entertainment and world-class service provided by SriLankan’s award-winning cabin crew.

Source : http://www.ft.lk/front-page/SriLankan-launches-daily-flights-to-Melbourne/44-642455