Sri Lanka adds winter air links from Russia, France and Central Asia
Daily FT: Sri Lanka is set to strengthen its international air connectivity for the European winter tourism season, with several airlines introducing new services or increasing capacity on routes linking the island with Russia, France, Central Asia and Switzerland.
Flights operated by Russia’s Azur Air to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) are scheduled to commence recently, while French carrier French Bee is expected to begin services to Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in December via the Maldives.
S7 Airlines is also scheduled to launch direct flights from Siberia to Katunayake in December, operating twice weekly.
The new services come as Sri Lanka seeks to attract more visitors during the northern hemisphere’s winter season, while expanding access to emerging source markets.
Adding to the new routes, Uzbekistan’s Centrum Air last week launched direct scheduled flights between Tashkent and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport.
The twice-weekly service, operating every Wednesday and Saturday until the end of March 2027, opens another gateway from Central Asia to Sri Lanka.
Royal Spence Aviation, a partner company of Aitken Spence Travels, welcomed the launch, describing it as a step towards strengthening connectivity and tapping the potential of emerging tourism markets.
Meanwhile, Swiss airline Edelweiss is deploying additional capacity on selected high-demand routes during the peak winter season.
Colombo has received an additional weekly flight from 27 October until mid-January, increasing the airline’s frequency to up to three flights per week.
The additional capacity and new services are expected to provide more travel options for visitors and support Sri Lanka’s efforts to improve access from key and emerging international markets.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s expanding international air connectivity is creating fresh business and investment opportunities across its tourism, airport and aviation industries, as more international airlines introduce new routes and increase flight frequencies to meet growing demand for travel to the island. The introduction of services by airlines from Russia, France, Siberia and Central Asia, alongside additional capacity from Switzerland’s Edelweiss, reflects the growing interest in Sri Lanka as a winter tourism destination and the potential to attract visitors from a wider range of international markets. This expansion is also highlighting the need for greater investment in the country’s airport infrastructure, aviation services and tourism-related facilities to accommodate rising passenger numbers and support the industry’s longer-term growth. For foreign businesses/investors, opportunities extend beyond hotel development and conventional tourism services. Airport infrastructure expansion, terminal modernisation, ground handling, aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), aviation catering, cargo handling and aircraft servicing represent potential areas for investment and international partnerships. There is also growing scope for investment in regional airport development, particularly at Mattala, as Sri Lanka seeks to distribute international passenger traffic beyond Bandaranaike International Airport and develop alternative gateways to emerging tourism destinations. In the tourism sector, new air connections create business/investment opportunities for hotel and resort development, destination management, transport services, tour operations and specialised tourism products targeting European, Russian and Central Asian travellers. International investors could also explore partnerships in airport retail, duty-free operations, passenger services, aviation technology and digital reservation systems. As Sri Lanka seeks to increase tourist arrivals and diversify its source markets, strengthening the capacity of its aviation infrastructure will be essential to sustaining growth. The expanding presence of international airlines therefore offers foreign businesses an opportunity to participate not only in the country’s tourism recovery but also in the development of a broader aviation and airport services industry.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20261110Z_2 |