Sri Lanka and China widen air links
17 Mar 2007
Beijing: Sri Lanka and China have agreed to expand air links, according to the Lankan foreign ministry. The agreement was arrived at in Beijing this week, following talks aimed at liberalizing bilateral air services between the two countries, and paves the way for 28 weekly flights from Sri Lanka to the Chinese mainland.
Sri Lankan carriers will now be able fly 21 weekly passenger flights and 7 weekly cargo flights to five Chinese destinations under the new deal.
"Sri Lankan Airlines, at present, has been operating three weekly flights to Beijing since 2005," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "This link has had a major impact on the tourism industry of Sri Lanka. In 2006, there was a 60 per cent increase of Chinese tourists visiting Sri Lanka, as against 2005."
Lankan flag-carrier, Sri Lankan Airlines, majority owned by the government, operates under Emirates management, however. The Mid-East carrier also owns a one third stake in the airline. The Sri Lankan government has also launched a budget carrier Mihin Air, which operated a test flight to India last week.
According to the Lankan foreign ministry, 34 million Chinese traveled abroad last year and increasing air links between the two countries would likely boost visitors to Sri Lanka.
"Sri Lanka is also positioned mid way between China on the one hand and Middle East and African destinations on the other," the foreign ministry said. "Sri Lanka also has the most extensive flight connectivity into India."
With more traffic expected in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Sri Lanka is also expected to serve as an ideal transit point for visitors from the South Asian region, the ministry said.