Sri Lanka to welcome direct flights from Vietnam and Bhutan
The Morning: Vietnam Airlines will be commencing flights to Sri Lanka, while there is a possibility that Drukair – Royal Bhutan Airlines and Bhutan Airlines may also commence direct flights to the country, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, CAA Director General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Sagara Kotakadeniya stated that during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to Vietnam, an agreement had been struck with the Vietnamese Government to commence direct flights between the two nations.
“A Government-to-Government agreement was reached after the President’s visit to Vietnam, where it was agreed to commence direct flights between the two countries,” he stated.
He added that Vietnam Airlines would commence operating flights to the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), but declined to provide a timeline, stating that it was premature.
Kotakadeniya further revealed that an agreement had been reached with Bhutan to commence direct flights between the two nations.
However, he said: “While Bhutan has come to an agreement with us, they have not made a commitment as to whether they will operate their own airlines here.”
Accordingly, he noted that although it was yet to be confirmed, they were hopeful that Drukair – Royal Bhutan Airlines and Bhutan Airlines would commence operating flights to Sri Lanka.
The CAA Director General further said that Singapore Airlines was looking to expand its operations in Sri Lanka by operating additional flights to the country from next month onwards.
He added that Singapore Airlines would be looking to operate these additional flights during off-peak hours.
OSL take:
The ongoing expansions in several key economic sectors in Sri Lanka including trade, tourism and business have resulted in the overall expansion of the country’s airport and aviation sector. The increase in the number of flights being operated to Sri Lanka by many international airlines and the authorities’ move to further uplift and develop the country’s airports to meet the increasing demand due to the growing number of travelers to Sri Lanka are all indicative of the expansion in the local airport and aviation industries. With Sri Lanka on an overall growth path aimed at becoming a regional hub supported by the country’s geographical positioning in the Indian Ocean and strong trade ties, the expanding opportunities in the airport and aviation industry in the country are manifold. These business/investment opportunities range from direct and indirect opportunities to the development of infrastructure and supplementary infrastructure facilities required to meet the increasing demand in the airport and aviation industries. Foreign businesses/investors could explore the expanding business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s airport and aviation industries that would present lucrative ventures while also looking at further expanding operations in Sri Lanka through local collaborations.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20250604/Z_1 |