Dubai, April 23, 2017:  SriLankan Airlines, the National Carrier of Sri Lanka and a member of the oneworld airline alliance, is looking to gain further impetus from the Middle East, even as the Indian Ocean island nation increasingly reaps the positive dividends of rapidly growing tourist numbers. The airline will be making fresh forays into the region, which is one of its significant source markets, through its presence at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai (April 24 to 27).

The airline is uniquely positioned to serve as a seamless connector between the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Far East and Southeast Asia, as a result of its strategic location and strong route network.

The Airline has traditionally done well in carrying tourists and expatriates between the Middle East, Sri Lanka and the sub-continent and has also been increasingly viewed as a viable alternative to reach East and Southeast Asia. With demand increasing, SriLankan Airlines has now enhanced its services to the region, with daily flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh, Muscat, Bahrain and Kuwait. The airline is also looking at increasing connectivity to other parts of the Gulf depending on demand.

'The Middle East continues to be one of our most important markets and being present at the ATM allows us to network and interact with the majority of tour operators, travel agents and other stakeholders and present them with our latest offerings,' said Desiree Premachandra, Country Manager of SriLankan Airlines in the UAE.

The airline, which is known for its excellent standards of in-flight service and seamless transit operations at its hub at Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport, will also look to further leverage its membership of the oneworld alliance and work with other partners to increase traffic across its network.

'We are an airline with a unique set of advantages, being located in the tourism paradise of Sri Lanka and having strong networks and traditional ties to India, the Middle East and East Asia, which we are looking to capitalize on to grow our presence further as a leading player in this sector,' Ms Premachandra said.

SriLankan Airlines today flies an all Airbus fleet, which includes the sophisticated A330-300 and A320neo aircraft connecting to 100 destinations in 47 countries (including codeshare operations). Launched in 1979, Sri Lanka’s National Carrier is an award winning airline with a solid reputation for service, comfort, safety, reliability, and punctuality.