Sri Lanka's national carrier to renew commercial operations to China

COLOMBO, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's national carrier SriLankan Airlines announced on Thursday it will renew its commercial operations to China with a thrice-weekly service each to Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou from April.

The national carrier said that China is one of the leading source markets for inbound tourism to Sri Lanka and one of the airline's premier leisure traveler segments before the pandemic.

The SriLankan Airlines is expecting to make a strong comeback in China once operations recommence in April, it said.

Passenger flights to Shanghai will start on April 3 and flights will depart from Colombo to Shanghai every Monday, Thursday, and Friday, and return from Shanghai to Colombo every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.

Flights from Colombo to Beijing will also commence on the same day and planes are to depart for Beijing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and return flights to Colombo will depart on the following days.

The SriLankan Airlines said it is currently operating a weekly flight between Colombo and Guangzhou, and a second flight will be added on March 4, 2023.

Another flight to Guangzhou will be added on April 4, 2023 and then flights will leave Colombo every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and return on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, the airline said.

"With Chinese travelers eager to make up for lost time in globetrotting, the SriLankan Airlines will be working closely with the local travel trade to reignite enthusiasm for Sri Lanka as a leisure destination in China," the airline said.

Tourism, one of Sri Lanka's leading foreign exchange earners, has suffered a setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the country's economic and political crises.

Sri Lanka's earnings from tourism were estimated at over 1.1 billion U.S. dollars last year, compared to 507 million dollars in 2021, according to the country's central bank.