SriLankan adds new routes in India, flies to Vietnam

Sri Lanka’s national carrier is planning to fly to more destinations in India, increase frequencies to Hong Kong and launch a new service to Vietnam.

SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ajit Dias told reporters, on the sidelines of the May 18-20 annual summit of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), that the debt-ridden airline is adding Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Cochin to its Indian sector eventually making it the largest foreign carrier into India with 13 destinations.

“We are also increasing the frequency to Hong Kong and launching a new service to Vietnam,” he said in Negombo where the PATA summit was held. “We are adding some smaller aircraft to our fleet for the increased frequencies while retiring the larger ones, as per original plans,” he added.

While battling huge debt left behind by the previous management under an earlier government, the airline is focusing on the India subcontinent and the Far East while slowing down on loss-making European routes.

Earlier this month, the airline said net group loss for the year ending March 31, 2017 had risen sharply to US$15.12 million from $3.15 million loss in the previous year.

The national carrier has been scouting around for a partner in the past 12 to 18 months but without much success. US-based Texas Pacific Group, one of the largest private equity investment firms in the world, had been in discussions for several months with the government on a possible partnership but pulled out in early May after completing due diligence.