Sri Lanka’s first private operator to commence flights between Colombo and Jaffna
FitsAir, which is Sri Lanka’s first private sector operator to launch scheduled flights between Colombo and Jaffna, is to commence operations further boosting connectivity between the country’s commercial capital – Colombo and the Jaffna peninsula in the Northern Province.
The inaugural flight is to fly from Colombo to Jaffna on Saturday (February 1).
The airline is to operate three weekly flights on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays, with departure from the Ratmalana International Airport at 7.30 a.m. and at 8.20 a.m. from Jaffna.
The one-way ticket for the two-hour flight is priced at Rs. 7,500, cheaper as a market entry strategy than the Air Force flight, which costs Rs. 9,000, the local media has reported.
A 70-seat ATR 72 aircraft will be deployed for this service, and FitsAir Passenger Aircraft Marketing Manager T.Z. Mohamed Ishan has told the Daily FT that the demand for the service is encouraging.
FitsAir has been operating scheduled flights to Batticaloa for nearly a year, apart from charter flights on demand to airstrips close to tourist sites.
OSL take:
Sri Lankan authorities are focused on improving connectivity within the island by uplifting the domestic aviation sector. Steps have been taken to develop regional airports within the country and to operate domestic flights between the country’s commercial capital – Colombo and other areas. This will further boost business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s domestic aviation sector as well as in the development of supplementary infrastructure facilities. Also, Sri Lanka’s geographical positioning in the Indian Ocean, the ease of doing business environment in the country and the many trade agreements as well as trade concessions enjoyed by the country have made it an attractive business destination in the South Asian region.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20200131/Z_3 |