[VintageKrug]

It would be good to hear some confirmation about this.

[LeTigre]

I agree wholeheartedly.

I suggest another 20 with 20 options would be suitable for some growth along with 747 replacement in a few years (soonest 77W slots are 2015) while also freeing up those all important 772s and 787s for new long-haul using Bmi slots.

[BusinessTraveller]

The Colombo service has now been confirmed by BA as follows:

“NEW SRI LANKA FLIGHTS FROM GATWICK

British Airways is launching a new route to Sri Lanka from Gatwick next year.

The three-times-a-week service to the capital city Colombo will start on March 31 and will be operated by a Boeing 777 with three cabins including Club World with fully flat beds.

Flights go on sale tomorrow (August 16) and will operate via Male in the Maldives.

Silla Maizey, British Airways managing director Gatwick, said: “This is such an exciting new route for us. The UK has the second largest number of tourists visiting the island after India so it’s a fantastic opportunity for them to fly there with British Airways from Gatwick.

“Sri Lanka has so much to offer visitors from beach, spa or adventure holidays, to cultural, wildlife and nature breaks.”

Return flights start from £595* in World Traveller, £1,316 in World Traveller Plus and £2,244 in Club World, and are available to book on line now on http://www.ba.com and direct through British Airways reservations on 0844 493 0787.

* World traveller fares based on the British Airways discount fare available to book from August 16 to September 25

[sparkyflier]

It looks like this site forced their hand on this one!

[BusinessTraveller]

Further notes within the press release:

The British Airways Boeing 777 will be configured with 48 Club World seats, 24 World Traveller Plus seats and 203 World Traveller seats.

Flights will operate on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday via Male.

BA2043 will depart Gatwick at 7.35pm and the return flight, BA2042, will depart Colombo at 2.15pm.

British Airways last served Colombo from October 1995 until March 1998.

[Henryp1]

Dear BT

Very many thanks for the update, appreciated. Its made my day!

Henry

edited

[BusinessTraveller]

Thanks Henryp1 – made your what? 🙂

[EnigmaticStar]

Well, now it’s official I can go ahead and book! 🙂

[LeTigre]

I’ve heard from my web and forum trawling that Santiago in Chile is next.

The initial rumours have it as a 5x weekly add on to Sao Paulo flights (I think), using a 777 that otherwise spends considerable time on the ground.

Sounds interesting…right?

[JohnnyFox]

Good news.

At least they resisted UL’s cack-brained scheme to get them to switch to Hambantota, or “White Elephant International” as the new airport in the Sri Lankan President’s home constituency is being called.

[londonlad]

SCL has been a rumour for many years. It could be operated as a shuttle from either GRU or EZE but as both routes are already very busy, it’s may not be workable.

However it is a perfect route for a direct flight when the 787-9 arrives…

[sparkyflier]

The arrival time though back at LGW is not ideal, around 23:00 – who wants to arrive at that kind of time? It is disappointing that the route is a merged one, and this timing for the return, something of negative factor.

I suppose though that is is a way to “test the water” as I have suggested earlier in this thread as a way to test routes without huge financial exposure.

However, I wonder if a route via Muscat would have been preferable. Muscat is currently one stop via Abu Dhabi (so uncompetitive versus the offering of Oman Air), and so a daily nonstop 777 to Muscat, with perhaps 3 going on to Colombo, would have enabled a more competitive offering on 3 routes.

Good crew rest in Male though!

[Author]

Posts