Colombo among first destinations to join Emirates’ A350 network
The Morning: Colombo will be among the first set of destinations to be served by Emirates’ A350 aircraft entering service in September 2024, the airline announced recently. Emirates’ fourth daily service to Colombo EK654/655 will be served by the A350 from 1 January 2025.
With 10 new A350s expected to join the Emirates fleet by 31 March 2025, the airline plans to deploy its latest aircraft type to nine destinations in the coming months, offering customers its latest signature cabin experiences.
These first 10 Emirates A350 aircraft will offer three cabin classes, with 32 next generation Business Class seats, 21 seats in Premium Economy, and 259 generously pitched Economy Class seats. All of these aircraft are earmarked to serve short to medium haul cities on the Emirates network, with Bahrain as its inaugural destination.
As the first Emirates A350s begin entering the fleet, the airline will offer customers more opportunities to experience its highly acclaimed Premium Economy product and sample its next generation Business Class cabins for the first time, particularly on short and medium haul routes in the Middle East and GCC, West Asia and Europe.
Thus, Colombo’s fourth daily service EK654/655 will be served by the A350 from 1 January 2025.
Emirates Airline Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim said: “The A350 will be a game-changer for Emirates, enabling us to serve regional points with superior operating efficiency and flexibility across the Middle East and GCC, West Asia and Europe. With the latest generation cabin products including more of our sought-after Premium Economy to more cities, top-notch in-flight entertainment technologies and an abundance of other customer-friendly features, the Emirates A350 builds on our long-standing commitment of investing in the very best customer experience in the sky. Flying the A350 to 9 cities in such a short span of time adds more premium cabin options and choice across geographies for our customers, and ensures we maintain our competitive edge and industry leading position.”
Newly delivered aircraft sporting the airline’s latest cabins will roll into scheduled service to several cities in the Middle East/GCC, In West Asia and in Europe.
OSL take:
There has been a steady increase in the number of flights operated to Sri Lanka by international airlines in the past few months, with indications a continuing increase. It is also indicative of the steady growth in the arrival of foreign travelers to Sri Lanka. All these developments have resulted in the growth of the country’s airport, aviation and tourism industries. Identifying the expanding opportunities in these industries, the Sri Lankan government have taken steps to further develop and expand the infrastructure and supplementary infrastructure facilities required to meet the growing demand in the airport, aviation and tourism industries. The local authorities are focused on improving and expanding connectivity inside and outside the country as well. Therefore, there are many business/investment opportunities in these industries. There are many foreign businesses that have shown interest in engaging in Sri Lanka’s airport, aviation and tourism industries. Given the growth and business potential, foreign businesses/investors could confidently explore the growing opportunities in the airport, aviation and tourism industries.