Between 28 December 2022 and 28 April 2025 Russian airline Red Wings operated 397 direct flights to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, bringing in 153,716 tourists.
According to former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, who shared the figures on his official Facebook page, the initiative has generated over USD 246 million in foreign exchange for Sri Lanka through Mattala alone.
