Sri Lankan Airlines has taken delivery of the first of seven A330-300s.
The new aircraft has the promotional slogan “Visit Sri Lanka” on its belly to promote the destination in overseas markets.
There will be 297 seats on the A330-300, configured in two classes – 28 business and 269 economy. It will be deployed on Tokyo and Guangzhou routes, both four times a week, starting from December.
Nishantha Wickremasinghe, chairman of the airline said, “I am delighted to have the first of seven A330-300s on order joining our fleet today, which is a red-letter day for the Sri Lankan Airlines family and moreover a reason for national pride as our country’s flagship carrier gears itself to meet the challenges and ever growing demands of the global travel industry.
"This delivery launches the process of the fleet renewal and replacement program and affords us the opportunity to enhance our product offering to our customers and puts our product on par with the leading international airlines serving Sri Lanka.”
The second A330-300 will arrive by the end of this year, with the next five to be inducted next year. The airline will also be acquiring eight A350-900s, with the first three being delivered in 2016, and the rest joining the fleet in 2020. The new aircraft will gradually replace older models over a period of two years.
The carrier will also commence flights later this year to Kunming, making it the fifth destination in China. The airline is also looking into the possibility of launching routes to Africa and Australia next year.
For more information, visit srilankan.com
Valerian Ho
