Sri Lanka had bounced back immediately after the recent problems, Hayleys Chairman and Chief Executive Mohan Pandithage emphasized.

He made this remark during the opening event to commemorate the landing of LOT Polish Airlines’ first regular, seasonal winter flight to Colombo.

Pandithage asserted that apart from Sri Lanka’s national carrier, LOT Polish Airlines was the only direct operator to bring European traffic to Colombo.

“Apart from SriLankan Airlines, this is the only other airline that comes from Europe non-stop all the way to Sri Lanka and they have 110 connections from Europe and North America. So this is a fantastic opportunity for our tourism industry,” he said.

Pandithage also noted that LOT Polish Airlines’ direct flights will attract many European and North American traffic to Colombo.

“I’m not trying to talk badly of other airlines operating through Middle Eastern points but if you come to Dubai, Doha or Abu-Dhabi what's happening there is that you have to stay for a minimum of 2 - 3 hours. Those airports are huge and you have to walk a lot. Elderly tourists have to travel for 8 - 10 hours and then have to walk a fair distance to connect to their respective flights. This is a hustle. So I can tell you this is another fantastic opportunity for the people in Europe and North America to come to Sri Lanka,” Pandithage said and added that the entire industry is ready for this fantastic airline service.