Srilankan to expand Indian operations-ceo
South India is an extended home base for Sri Lankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka, which is all set to expand its operations in metros and tier-two cities in the region. As part of a move to accord thrust to the Asian market, the airline would increase both frequencies of operations and choices of destinations in India.
In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, Kapila Chandrasena, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Sri Lankan Airlines said, increasingly liberal aviation policies and opening of secondary cities was a welcome sign for the industry in India. “India is important due to the sheer scale of operations it offers our network, and the market is big enough to sustain any number of airlines.”
The airline despite incurring losses and curtailing frequency of operations in the European sector would increase frequencies to Delhi and Chennai while exploring the possibility of operations in tier-two cities, including Madurai.
“Sizing up the Madurai market, we feel that the city has the right mix of passenger segments,” he said adding that the airline might look at operating turbo aircrafts with limited seating capacity at the initial stage. Responding to a query on how the operations would affect Tiruchi, the closest destination for travellers in south, he was optimistic that markets were big enough for unexplored segment.
With increased competition, low yield and poor capacity issues in European sector, the thrust of the aviation industry has now shifted to Asia in the form of new destinations, the CEO said.