The Hindu Business Line : SriLankan puts expansion plans on hold

SRI Lanka's national airline, SriLankan, has kept in abeyance any expansion plans into India for the moment, but this does not mean that it would lead to a reduction in seats on offer, the airline Chief Executive Officer, Mr Peter Hill, has said.

"There will not be any reduction in seats. We will either maintain or increase the number of seats on offer here. In the next 10 days or so, the airline should be ready to commit a figure regarding the number of seats on offer in the Indian market," Mr Hill added.

The airline operates 71 flights a week to 10 destinations, including a 15-times a week service to Chennai and 11 times a week to Thiruvanathapuram.

During financial year 2004, the airline had said that there would be a progressive increase in the number of seats on offer in the Indian market from 9,000 to 11,000.

However, the airline has pushed back the launch of a flight between Colombo and Ahmedabad. "We had planned to go to Ahmedabad but may have to go back on this to either late this year or next year. The airline also had plans to add flights to new destinations and increase frequency of some flights but this will have to wait till we get back into serious profitability," Mr Hill said.

Meanwhile, the airline is to enter into a code-share agreement with the Dubai-based Emirates airline to offer passengers easier and faster access to the US, a move which is likely to help the passengers from several south Indian cities, including Kozhikode, Thiruvanthapuram and Tiruchi among others.

The airline "welcomed" more flights being added on the India-Sri Lanka route by the private and public sector airlines. "More access means more people can come," Mr Hill said.

Besides to serve the Indian market better, the airline will soon not only have Hindi and Malayalam speaking cabin crew but is also educating them on the subtle cultural differences that exist between the people of the two neighbours.

"We are involved in a survey of the Indian market so that we can understand it even better. The survey should be completed in about six months. By winter 2005, we will be ready to roll out a more tailor made product for the Indian market. The difference will be visible on the ground, in the air and probably also in our advertising in the months to come," Mr Hill said.

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