SriLankan Airlines is exploring opportunities to expand its international network to Africa, China and Perth, as the national carrier looks to strengthen air connectivity and support Sri Lanka’s tourism growth.
Speaking to the media, SriLankan Airlines new CEO Vipul Mishra highlighted the potential for increased connectivity with Perth, following a recent tourism roadshow conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism. He also emphasised the need to re-establish services to China and revive the airline’s long-discontinued African routes.
“We see there is a strong demand in Perth. We do see that China needs to restart anyhow. We really need to deploy capacity,” Mishra said.
He noted that additional aircraft would be required to support the proposed expansion, potentially involving capacity sourced from outside the airline.
According to Mishra, the national carrier has a key role in developing routes that may not initially attract other airlines due to commercial considerations, particularly where they could generate long-term tourism and transit traffic through Colombo.
“Nobody would bleed their money to open that route as tourism or as transiting traffic for Colombo. It is the national carrier who has to step up,” he said.
Mishra acknowledged that passenger loads on newly established routes might initially be lower as demand develops. However, he stressed that establishing these connections could create new opportunities for Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, with other airlines potentially entering the market once the routes become commercially attractive.
