SriLankan Airlines to establish presence in Australia

SriLankan Airlines announced (29-May-2017) daily nonstop service to Melbourne, commencing 29-Oct-2017. The carrier will operate A330-200 aircraft on the route and will facilitate passengers from the Middle East and South Asia seeking onward connectivity via Colombo to/from Australia. SriLankan Airlines' CEO Captain Suren Ratwatte stated: "Our presence in Australia cements the long-standing relationship between both countries, who recently celebrated the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The addition of Melbourne signifies our strategy of optimising the carrier's network in line with our restructuring". The service is scheduled to depart Colombo at 23:50 and return from Melbourne at 15:25. [more - original PR]