Air India to resume flights from Delhi to Colombo from July 15, following Indian Premier’s visit
Indian media outlet, NDTV has reported that Air India will resume its additional flight on Delhi-Colombo route from 15 July.
The news has quoted Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri as making the announcement.
The Indian national carrier had stopped operating the additional flight after the 21 April Easter Sunday terror attack in Sri Lanka that targeted churches and luxury hotels, killing total 258 people and injuring 500 others.
In Colombo, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday pledged India’s solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka as he visited the St Anthony’s church, one of the sites of the attacks, and paid tributes to the victims of the deadly terror strikes.
Out of 258 people killed, 11 were Indians.
Puri has said in a tweet on Sunday, “Honouring the spirit of friendship & mutual cooperation between India & Sri Lanka, & to express solidarity with the people of the island nation, I am delighted to announce the resumption of additional Air India flight between New Delhi & Colombo from 15th July 2019.”
“Having spent several years as a young diplomat posted in Colombo, Sri Lanka & its wonderful people will always have a cherished place in my life. Also not many people know that I was in Colombo when Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi summoned me to Delhi to join his team in September 2017,” he has added.
OSL take:
The announcement of Air India resuming flights between New Delhi and Colombo is a positive sign for Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. India is one of Sri Lanka’s key tourism markets. The strong message sent out by the Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit to Sri Lanka would further strengthen bilateral and trade ties between the two countries. Therefore, foreign businesses/investors looking at doing business in the South Asian region could explore the possibility of setting up base in Sri Lanka.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/12062019/Z_4 |