JEDDAH, 29 March 2007 — The recent terrorist attack on a Sri Lankan Air Force base will not have any adverse impact on the schedules of various international commercial airlines, Sri Lankan Ambassador A.M.J. Sadiq said here yesterday.
Asked by Arab News to comment on the announcement by a Far East international airline that it was suspending its flights to Colombo, the ambassador hoped that the airline concerned would withdraw its suspension plan, as security arrangements had been additionally beefed up and the government had undertaken contingency plans to see that such terrorist attacks would not recur. A five-member committee of the government was already inquiring into the matter.
“It was unfortunate that such an attack took place, which shows the aerial striking capability acquired by some terrorist outfits,” he said, adding that it was however safe for passengers to travel to the Indian Ocean island state.
The ambassador later addressed a press conference along with senior executives of SriLankan Airlines and its General Sales Agent Kanoo Travel on the occasion of the opening of a full-fledged station office at the Kanoo Tower on Madinah Road. The office opening was preceded by the re-launch of the airline’s twice weekly service to Jeddah on Tuesday. It was in October 1998 that the airline stopped its services to Jeddah, which now becomes its 51st destination in a network spanning 28 countries.
The re-launch of Jeddah flights has been particularly welcomed by the Sri Lankan expatriate community. The carrier will enable the island’s Umrah pilgrims to visit Jeddah round-the-year and Haj pilgrims annually with the cooperation of Saudi Arabian Airlines.
The SriLankan now has six frequencies to Colombo — two each from Riyadh (Monday and Wednesday), Dammam (Tuesday and Thursday) and Jeddah (Tuesday and Friday), SriLankan’s Manager for Saudi Arabia Mohamed Riza Yusoof said.
Earlier this month, the airline signed a code share agreement with Saudi Arabian Airlines, which allows both carriers to jointly market the flights, he added.
“This is a significant milestone for our airline, taking us a step closer to giving our passengers in Asia the best connections from their home country to the Middle East. We are confident that this new route will be a great success for both our airlines and a greater convenience for our passengers,” Sri Lankan’s head of Worldwide Passenger Sales Manoj Gunawardena said.
Jeddah is SriLankan’s third destination in the Kingdom after Dammam and Riyadh and the ninth in the Middle East. Other key destinations in the region include Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Muscat and Kuwait, SriLankan’s Regional Manager for Middle East, CIS and Africa Mohamed Fazeel said.
“The airline’s Colombo hub is ideally positioned to connect Middle East travelers with 17 destinations in South Asia and the Far East.
The airline has a strong presence in the Indian market as the foreign carrier with the most number of frequencies, operating 95 weekly flights into 10 destinations across India. The schedule includes double daily services to Chennai and Mumbai and a daily service to other Indian destinations.
The carrier offers attractive packages for holidaymakers who can opt to stop in Colombo for shopping and a city expedition or venture inland and explore the island’s rich wildlife and exotic birdlife.
With its adequate infrastructure in the hospitality sector, the island hopes to attract many more Saudi families and vacationers with its slogan “Land like no other” and attractions that include rich cultural heritage and shopping, aside from the issuance of visa on arrival for GCC nationals. The country, with its eight percent Muslim population, also boasts many mosques and halal food.