JEDDAH, 23 March 2004 — A private Indian airline, Jet Airways, flew abroad for the first time yesterday when it took off for the Sri Lankan capital Colombo from the southern city of Madras, said Mehboob Peshimam, the airline’s regional manager for Saudi Arabia and North Africa. India’s private airlines had so far been allowed to operate only in the domestic sector. The journey was less than one hour, but the airline had planned quite a show for the inaugural flight, Peshimam said. On board was the CEO of the airline, who was welcomed by senior members of the Sri Lankan government on arrival.
