Belavia Airlines launches direct flights between Belarus and Sri Lanka
Daily Mirror: Belavia – Belarusian Airlines, the national carrier of the Republic of Belarus, launched direct flights between Minsk and Mattala today, marking a significant step in strengthening air connectivity between Belarus and Sri Lanka.
The weekly flights will operate every Tuesday:
Minsk → Mattala – Departure: 02:10, Arrival: 14:00
Mattala → Minsk – Departure: 16:00, Arrival: 23:30
The inaugural flight, operated by an A330-200 aircraft with a 281-seat capacity, arrived at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) recently, carrying 277 international tourists. The arrival was celebrated with a traditional water cannon salute by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (AASL). Passengers were welcomed with Kandyan dancing performances organized by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and presented with Ceylon Tea gifts by the Sri Lanka Tea Board, showcasing the unique hospitality of Sri Lanka.
Belavia’s direct service follows a familiarization visit to MRIA on August 4 by a top-level delegation, coordinated by Shobini Gunasekera, Ambassador-designate of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, along with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, and Ports, Shipping and Aviation. Operational arrangements were supported by AASL, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL), and the local GSA, Far East Air Services (Pvt) Limited.
Initially, flights will operate once a week with approval to continue until March 8, 2026, during the winter season. Belavia will consider expanding the service to a regular schedule based on market demand and growth opportunities. Tickets are available through Belavia sales offices and authorized agents.
MRIA handled 132,852 passenger movements in 2024, and from January to September 2025, it recorded 97,206 passenger movements, highlighting the airport’s growing role in international connectivity.
OSL take:
There has been an increase in the number of flights operated by international airlines to Sri Lanka, indicating the steadily increasing numbers of foreign travellers to the country. Apart from indicating the country’s overall economic expansion, this also indicates the steady growth in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and related sectors. On the other hand, this steady growth also indicates the growing business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry while the increasing air traffic has also created business/investment opportunities in the airport and aviation sector due to the requirement for facilities to meet the increasing demand as foreign travellers to Sri Lanka continue to increase. Given the steady growth and the increasing business potential of Sri Lanka, especially in the tourism as well as airport and aviation industries, foreign businesses/investors could confidently explore the expanding business/investment opportunities in these industries.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20251106/Z_4 |