India’s Vistara Airline commences flights between Mumbai and Colombo
Vistara, which is India’s finest full-service carrier and a joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, has inaugurated service to Colombo in Sri Lanka this week.
Accordingly, the airline now flies daily (except Wednesdays) between Mumbai and Colombo, making it the first to offer the choice of Premium Economy Class for travel between India and Sri Lanka, in addition to Economy and Business Class.
Passengers on Vistara’s inaugural flight from Mumbai were welcomed in Colombo with garlands and Sri Lankan sweets, as a special troupe performed the traditional Kandyan dance in celebration, local media reports stated.
Vistara’s chief guests for the occasion were High Commission of India in Sri Lanka’s Economic and Commerce First Secretary Dr. Sushil Kumar, Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka Air Transport and Economic Regulation Director Rayhan Wanniappa and Hayleys PLC Executive Director Ruwan Waidyaratne.
Vistara Chief Strategy Officer Vinod Kannan has been quoted as saying, “We are very happy to step into another new geography with flights to Sri Lanka, a nation with enormous potential for tourism as well as trade. To Sri Lanka, we introduce India’s only five-star airline that’s committed to making a mark across the globe with a world-class product and impeccable service delivery. We are confident that travellers will enjoy the unmatched hospitality when flying the ‘new feeling’ with Vistara.”
Vistara has appointed North South Lines Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of the iconic Sri Lankan conglomerate Hayleys, as its representative company in Sri Lanka.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka and India enjoy strong bilateral and trade ties that have been further strengthened by a free trade agreement and now by the commencement of flights between the two countries by several Indian based airlines. India’s Alliance Air commenced flights to Sri Lanka’s Jaffna International Airport and Vistara has now commenced flights between Mumbai and Colombo. This will result in strengthening Sri Lanka’s tourism, trade and investment sectors. While Indian businesses/investors could explore business opportunities in Sri Lanka, foreign businesses/investors looking at doing business with India could explore the possibility of setting up base in Sri Lanka to engage with India.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20191127/Z_5 |