UL first in South Asia to receive Diamond status from APAX

National carrier Srilankan Airlines has become the first carrier in the South Asian region to receive the Diamond accreditation from Airline Passengers Experience Association (APEX) and Simpliflying, an upgrade received for the added measures taken to safeguard passengers during the ongoing pandemic.

While it was only in January 2021 that the airline was awarded the Platinum standard, the status boost comes within a span of six months. According to a statement released by Srilankan Airlines, the upgrade was attributed to the efforts in ensuring the highest standards of cleanliness and sanitisation across its operations, due to the COVID19 scenario.

According to APEX CEO Dr. Joe Leader, reaching the ‘hospital grade’ Diamond level demonstrates Srilankan’s commitment to advancing in every way possible forward during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The highest possible rating was obtained based on the evaluation of a 58-point checklist and the health safety of passengers being the focal point of the journey, including a touch-free check-in process and implementation of physical distancing.

“We continue to diligently implement comprehensive hygiene precautions to ensure that our passengers can travel in a safe and healthy environment during the pandemic. The precautionary measures taken by Srilankan Airlines during these uncertain times make us proud to receive the highest status in the APEX Health Safety audit,” Srilankan Airlines Chairman Ashok Pathirage said.