SriLankan Airlines has entered into a first-ever interline partnership with Virgin Australia that will strengthen the airline’s network in Australia and offer customers extensive connections across the land down under and beyond.  The new partnership reaffirms SriLankan’s commitment to Australia and will present customers the convenience of adding select Virgin Australia domestic or international connections to their SriLankan Airlines booking and managing a multi-airline itinerary under a single ticket.

Dimuthu Tennakoon, Head of Worldwide Sales & Distribution of SriLankan Airlines commented on the partnership by stating, “Australia has one of the largest Sri Lankan diasporic communities, which makes our Australian routes incredibly popular all year around and particularly with people travelling to visit friends and relatives or in pursuit of higher education.  This partnership will help us make further inroads in the Australian market through improved connectivity and a range of other benefits for our valued customers.”

SriLankan Airlines currently operates daily from Colombo to Melbourne and from Colombo to Sydney on a thrice-weekly basis. The partnership will enable passengers flying SriLankan to Melbourne or Sydney to connect to the Australian cities of Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Cairns, Darwin, Hobart, Hamilton Island, Launceston, Gold Coast and Perth with Virgin Australia. Passengers will also have the option of flying beyond Australia to New Zealand, Samoa and Fiji. It is a win for Sri Lankan and Indian Australians living in these cities too as they can now fly out from their local city to Sri Lanka or India with a single SriLankan Airlines’ booking. What’s more, passengers can enjoy a seamless journey with a single check-in, including for baggage, at the departure airport and beat transit check-in queues.

The introduction of domestic and international interline flights options with Virgin Australia would improve the accessibility to Sri Lanka for Australian outbound tourists as well. An important customer group for SriLankan, the partnership will unquestionably help develop Australian leisure travel to Sri Lanka. It will also provide easy connections for SriLankan Airlines’ passengers flying to Australia via Colombo from the Maldives, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Since relaunching flights to Melbourne in October 2017 and Sydney in June 2020, close to a million passengers have travelled with SriLankan Airlines to Australia. The new partnership will enhance SriLankan Airlines’ service to Australia as the airline prepares to cruise to new altitudes above the land down under. For more information on SriLankan’s Australian operations visit www.srilankan.com

Photo caption - SriLankan Airlines has entered into a first-ever interline partnership with Virgin Australia that will strengthen the airline’s network in Australia and offer customers extensive connections across the land down under and beyond.

SriLankan Airlines, in its continuous endeavour to promote Sri Lanka as a sought-after tourist destination among the niche travellers, organizes ‘Ride Sri Lanka 2023,’ a cross country cycling tour with a star-studded rider line-up from across the world.

‘Ride Sri Lanka 2023’ was flagged off from Jetwing Jaffna on January 23^rd, and will be reaching Galle on January 28^th, passing the island’s most picturesque and diverse terrain, thus portraying the country’s stature as a destination for adventure and endurance tourism. Accordingly, the tour will pass through towns that are home to many ecological and cultural attractions such as Jaffna, Mannar, Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Ramboda, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Thissamaharama and Galle, with the seventh day dedicated to a tour around Colombo.  This is also the first time in the country’s history that Jaffna has been chosen as the starting point of an international event of this calibre, thus bringing in the much-needed spotlight for the country’s vibrant North.

SriLankan Airlines, Chief Executive Officer, Richard Nuttall said, “As a leading promotor of destination Sri Lanka, we have embarked on many initiatives to project the country as an appealing backdrop, not just for an ideal holiday, but also for adventure, sports, wellness, and endurance activities. Whilst our pristine beaches, wildlife and inherent hospitality continue to charm the tourist, our intention is to take the message across the globe that, Sri Lanka still has much more to offer, and now is the ideal time to visit the country. This philosophy of taking Sri Lanka to the world is well-complemented by our extensive network, allowing us to provide seamless connectivity to the discerning leisure travellers across the Europe, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, Asia Pacific and Australia into Sri Lanka.”

Over 15 international riders have arrived in the country to take part in the tour and accompanying them are a range of international media and content outlets specialized in cycling. Among the riders are Cory Wallace, the current and four times World Solo 24HR Champion and two times Canadian Marathon Champ, who races for the Kona Factory Team out of Canada; Jason English, elite Australian mountain biker and seven times 24HR Solo MTB World Champ;  Yuki Ikeda who currently races for Topeak-Ergon Racing Team, USA and represents Japan for the UCI MTB Marathon World Championships every year since 2011; Karsten Madsen, who is five times Xterra Major title winner and three times National Champion; Matt Lieto, an IRONMAN Gravel Cyclist, Team Amani from Africa; and Imogen Smith, an Australian Olympian, to name a few.

SriLankan Airlines partners with the renowned world body, Mountain Biking Worldwide in this endeavour, and is aptly supported by many of the country’s hospitality and logistics partners.

A pioneering Life insurer, Janashakthi Life, won the coveted Gold Award in the Insurance category at CA Sri Lanka’s TAGS Awards 2022 organized by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka).

Commenting on this achievement, Director/CEO of Janashakthi Insurance PLC, Ravi Liyanage said: “We are honoured to have been recognized at the prestigious CA Sri Lanka’s TAGS Awards and this award further strengthens our corporate positioning as an award-winning market challenger in the insurance sector. This achievement is a testament to the strong principles, transparency, governance, and values that represent Janashakthi Life.  I would like to congratulate our team as this is a recognition of their hard work and dedication as we strive to deliver continued excellence, by delivering an Annual Report that is relevant, precise, and insightful to all our stakeholders”.

Staying true to its corporate purpose of uplifting lives and empowering dreams, Janashakthi Life has always strived to deliver greater value to all its stakeholders ethically and transparently. On the customer front, the insurer brings this to life through its path-breaking insurance solutions and services that cater to their evolving needs at every stage of their lives. Extending this purpose to its engagement with its employees, Janashakthi Life has always sought to offer team members a highly supportive work environment that empowers them to grow and realize their dreams and aspirations.

Janashakthi Life was also recently recognised globally as the ‘Best Life Insurer Sri Lanka 2022’ for the first time in the history of Janashakthi Life. Awarded by the internationally acclaimed Capital Finance International (CFI.co) headquartered in London, this prestigious recognition identifies organisations that contribute significantly to the growth of economies and truly add value for all stakeholders. Recording an impressive brand value growth in 2022, the brand was also listed as one of the ‘TOP 10 Fastest Growing Sri Lankan Brands’ and is the only insurance brand to be listed among the TOP 10 honour roll.

The leading insurer also bagged the award for the ‘Best Strategies for Insurance Spreading’ for the year 2021 at the 3rd ICC Emerging Asia Insurance Awards 2021, in recognition of its contribution to transforming insurance industries of the region with industry-best solutions. Furthermore, Janashakthi Life was recognised globally as the ‘Domestic Insurer of the Year’ and Janashakthi Life Mobile App has been named the ‘Mobile App of the Year’ by the Insurance Asia Awards 2022. This credential is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious recognitions in the Insurance Industry and includes a rigorous screening and selection process.

Over a span of 28 years, Janashakthi Life PLC has continued to revolutionize the insurance industry and journeyed forward to become a force to be reckoned with. Its island wide network of 75+ branches enable people from all walks of life to access its unique insurance solutions.

Photo Caption: Janashakthi Life team accepting the award at CA Sri Lanka’s TAGS Awards 2022

SriLankan Airlines is organizing the first-ever series of meetings in Sri Lanka for Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) Nepal as part of its ramped-up efforts to help the country rebuild and grow tourism. The airline’s commercial strategy and product portfolio caters to many different types of travellers, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) tourism remains a focal segment. As an airline, SriLankan is able to provide the complete package to MICE customers inclusive of air travel; hotel accommodation; transfers; tours and much more.

The Nepal chapter of EO, the world’s only peer-to-peer network exclusively for entrepreneurs, currently has close to 100 members from a diverse cross-section of industries. Members will visit Sri Lanka in groups over the coming months for a series of meetings. The first group wrapped up their visit recently and included Chiefs; Vice Presidents; Directors and Capital Advisors of leading Nepali organizations such as the Reliance Group Nepal; City Tech; Khangri Sourcing; Mercantile group; ARKS Capital Advisors; and Siddhartha Group.

SriLankan Airlines’ MICE services were especially sought by EO Nepal on account of the airline’s experience and capabilities in providing the full range of services required to successfully pull off a destination event. SriLankan is also the only airline to offer direct flight services between Colombo and Kathmandu, Nepal with five frequencies a week.

Additionally, SriLankan provided exclusive benefits to the group that only an airline can deliver such as special airfares, airport facilitation including a dedicated counter at the departure airport, group check-in and seating options and a special onboard welcome. Along with local travel trade partners, SriLankan pulled out all the stops to ensure that the EO Nepal delegation had a quality experience in Sri Lanka.

“I recently traveled to Colombo on SriLankan Airlines from Kathmandu with EO Nepal. Their onboard service was amazing.  Upon landing in Colombo, I was welcomed and greeted by friendly ground staff who assisted me with my entry process, step-by-step. I would like to thank the SriLankan Airlines’ MICE team for the support given towards EO Nepal chapter.  I look forward to visiting Sri Lanka in the near future and flying on SriLankan Airlines again,” acclaimed Tsering Sherpa, Vice President of Nepal Operations and Business Development, Khangri Sourcing.

Sri Lanka was one of Asia’s most desired destinations for MICE events just prior to the pandemic, from being strategically nestled in the Indian ocean and a gateway to Europe; the Middle East; Central Asia; and the Far East. Moreover, SriLankan Airlines was the chosen airline partner and MICE planner for a great majority of the international events that Sri Lanka played host to until the end of 2019. Now, with tourism clearly on the trajectory of recovery, SriLankan Airlines is taking strides in the right direction and hopes to draw illustrious global events to the country once again.

SriLankan Airlines is set to partner with Raid Amazones 2023 for the second consecutive year, with the aim of reaffirming Sri Lanka’s stature as a sought-after tourist destination among the discerning contemporary traveller,. The collaboration will see the popular French adventure trail unfolding in the country’s hill capital, Kandy in March 2023.

Founder, Raid Amazones, Alexandre Debanne said, “Looking back at the last year’s event, I can confidently say that, if not for SriLankan Airlines, we wouldn’t have been able to host it in Sri Lanka. Next year, we are returning with firm assurance and confidence that Sri Lanka will have all the novelty and excitement that the event embodies, and Kandy will provide a new perspective to the event’s diverse destination portfolio.”

SriLankan Airlines, Chairman, Mr. Ashok Pathirage said, “We are delighted to partner with Raid Amazones 2023 yet again, to position Sri Lanka in the hearts of adventure enthusiasts across the globe. As the National Carrier, we take pride in attracting global media attention and winning the trust of international travellers at a time that the country is progressing from the recent challenges. We anticipate Raid Amazones 2023 to have an overwhelming appeal both in terms of participants and the followers.”

SriLankan Airlines sponsored Raid Amazones for the first time in 2022 as a result of recommencing operations to Paris. The airline carried 504 female French athletes, earning an immeasurable amount of global media visibility for Sri Lanka. The airline branded an aircraft with Raid Amazones 2022 themed livery, operated by an all-female crew to bring Sri Lanka into the limelight as an adventure and sports tourism destination on a global scale.

The Invitees taking part in the SriLankan Airlines’ Global Sales Conference 2022 are currently arriving in the country, from across the airline’s extensive network ranging from Europe; the Middle East; Indian subcontinent; Asia-Pacific; and Australia. The invitees consist over 150 leading international travel agents who predominantly market Sri Lanka and the airline’s General Sales Agents (GSAs) that represent the airline across the globe.

Accordingly, the visiting agents will be exploring Sri Lanka on a selection of curated itineraries before attending the conference which will be held at Aliya Resort and Spa on November 18, 2022. The conference will be followed by a travel mart the next day, where the local tour operators and Destination Management Companies (DMCs) will meet the visiting agents to explore business and collaboration opportunities.

SriLankan Airlines, CEO, Richard Nuttall said, “As the National Carrier, in our endeavor to support the tourism recovery efforts, we embarked on this timely initiative to reaffirm Sri Lanka’s safety and readiness across our network. We believe that our trusted travel trade partners will take this message across their territories and will play a greater role in inspiring travel into Sri Lanka from their respective markets. We are also overwhelmed by the response that we are receiving from the local tour operators. As we speak, over 400 appointments have been booked, and we expect the numbers to grow in the coming days.”

SriLankan Airlines is aptly supported by a host of hospitality and travel partners such as Aliya Resort & Spa; Cinnamon Resorts; Cinnamon Grand; Amaya Hotels; Walkers Tours; Jetwing Hotels; Taj Hotels Infinity Vacations; Aitken Spence Travels; Mahaweli Reach Hotel; and Teardrop Hotels.

SriLankan Airlines reinforced its position as a passenger favourite by winning the coveted 2023 APEX Passenger Choice Awards® for Best Food & Beverage and Best Seat Comfort in Central/Southern Asia at the recent FTE APEX Asia EXPO held in Singapore. SriLankan also retained its status as a Four-Star Major Airline in the 2023 APEX Official Airline Ratings™ for the fifth consecutive year.

The APEX Passenger Choice Awards® and APEX Official Airline Ratings™ are based upon anonymous and neutral passenger ratings collected from over one million flights of nearly 600 airlines. Winners of The APEX Passenger Choice Awards® are contingent on passengers’ ratings of airlines on five subcategories: seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment, and Wi-Fi. Furthermore, passengers’ overall ratings of airlines on a five-star scale determine the airlines’ star rating as a global, major, regional or low-cost carrier in the APEX Official Airline Ratings™.

The awards are a nod to SriLankan’s continuous endeavors to offer customers a superior onboard product and an experience that is styled with warmth and the comforting familiarity of home. As part of its ongoing efforts to delight passengers, SriLankan Airlines periodically reinvents its onboard menu. The airline recently introduced several authentically Sri Lankan dishes and beverages to its signature local meal option. Each menu item was meticulously selected and crafted to bring out the nutritional and health benefits of its ingredients to a greater degree. In addition to being ‘comfort food’ for Sri Lankans, the new inclusions to the menu aim to promote Sri Lankan food culture to a global audience.

Passengers’ onboard experience is further complemented by the cabins on SriLankan’s Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, which primarily serve the regional short-haul routes. Both Business and Economy Class are fitted with ergonomically designed cabins with leather recliner seats for extra comfort.

Richard Nuttall, Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines stated, “We are extremely honored to be recognized by our valued customers, once again, for providing an exceptional onboard experience. This further strengthens our resolve to continue offering the best for our customers. Each award serves as a tribute to the tireless effort, teamwork and creativity of the people of SriLankan Airlines and I would like to thank every member of the SriLankan family for bringing the airline to the international spotlight.”

SriLankan Airlines has won a total of 12 APEX Passenger Choice Awards® to date for its services in the Asia-Pacific region, and has been a constant on the winners’ list since 2018. SriLankan Airlines currently operates close to 160 weekly flights to 27 cities in the Asia-Pacific.

SriLankan Airlines introduces multiple exclusive benefits for student visa holders on bookings made directly through the airline’s website. Student travellers could expect to enjoy conveniences and savings from cashback offers and excess baggage allowances when they travel with SriLankan Airlines.

Students will get an instant 10 percent cashback on their first air ticket purchase and a 15 percent cashback on each additional ticket purchased up to five tickets for self-travel. Additionally, parents and spouses of students are eligible for a five percent cashback when they purchase tickets to visit the student studying overseas.

Relocating to a different country for education can often be an unnerving and stressful experience for students. Among the many challenges that a student is likely to face during the transition is the question of how to relocate their personal belongings economically given flight baggage allowance limitations. In response to this common challenge, SriLankan is offering an additional generous checked baggage allowance of 10KG for Economy Class and Business Class on top of the regular baggage allowance of each class of travel.

Students will also receive the privilege of one complimentary date change on each ticket purchased for self-travel. SriLankan’s thoughtfully designed bundle of online offers for students is unrivalled when combined with the airline’s nonstop, direct services between Colombo and countries that are popular for tertiary education such as the United Kingdom; Australia; Malaysia; Singapore; and India.

Around 25,000 Sri Lankans seek higher studies abroad every year. SriLankan Airlines carries the majority of the students travelling out of Colombo to international cities within its network, making the airline the choicest carrier among the Sri Lankan international student population.

An increasing number of Sri Lankan students are now preferring to book their flights online due to the advantages of using online booking platforms. With SriLankan Airlines’ exclusive offers, students can expect to accrue more benefits to ease their journey. For more information and bookings visit https://www.srilankan.com/en_uk/special-offers/free-baggage-allowance-for-Students

SriLankan Airlines has been appointed as the Official Airline Partner and Platinum Sponsor of the National ICT Awards – NBQSA 2022. The 24^th NBQSA Awards ceremony will take place on 4^th November 2022 and aims to recognize the best ICT innovations from individuals and groups within the ICT industry.

Mr. Dimuthu Tennakoon, Head of Worldwide Sales & Distribution of SriLankan Airlines stated “We are indeed happy for being roped into this prestigious awards event as the Official Airline Partner and Platinum Sponsor. Focusing on developing the ICT sector through these awards is an investment for the future, as the ICT sector has got potential to revive the country’s economy.”

Mr. Sanharsha Jayatissa, Chairman, National ICT Awards – NBQSA 2022 said “We are proud to have SriLankan Airlines, the national airline of Sri Lanka, teamed up with us for this year’s awards event. Their addition further strengthens NBQSA 2022, and we are looking forward to collaborating with them to make the event a success.”

Mr. Vajeendra S Kandegamage, Chairman of BCS Sri Lanka Section stated, ‘’We are highly excited about SriLankan Airlines choosing the National ICT awards NBQSA to continue their efforts to support the ICT sector. SriLankan Airlines has been playing a vital role in uplifting the education and empowerment of the country’s youth through various sponsorships and partnerships. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to support the ICT sector’s growth at a critical time for the country.”

As Sri Lanka’s foremost Chartered IT Professional body, BCS strives to facilitate improvements in the quality and standards of products and services in the ICT industry in the nation. Upon recognizing the best products and services, BCS facilitates business matching and investment promotions to help developers, companies and the ICT industry to grow to unprecedented levels. The ultimate aim of this facilitation is to raise the Sri Lankan ICT industry to be on par with international standards.

Photo Caption : from Left to Right, Ms. Mihiri Fonseka, Manager IT Business Systems, Ms. Bimali Malalasekara, Manager E-Business Development, Mr. Vajeendra S Kandegamage, Chairman of BCS Sri Lanka Section, Mr. Sanharsha Jayatissa, Chairman, National ICT Awards

SriLankan Airlines won the prestigious Best Aviation Sustainability Program Award, beating 118 other submissions at the recently concluded Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (SMBR) Global Aviation Awards for its groundbreaking signature upcycle project, ‘Mathaka.’ Project Mathaka was SriLankan Airlines’ answer to minimizing its contribution to landfill waste and ecological footprint by repurposing the airline’s scrap material into a variety of lifestyle products.

SriLankan partnered with House of Lonali, a Sri Lankan organization that designs and manufactures upcycled lifestyle products, to develop the exclusive range of products under the ‘Mathaka’ brand including travel bags; wallets; books; key tags; and jewellery. The items, made entirely from disposed airline uniforms, aircraft interior components and other material, will eventually be introduced for sale onboard SriLankan Airlines’ flights and through the website and retail partners of House of Lonali. All proceeds from the project will go toward funding the airline’s other corporate sustainability initiatives.

The project allows the airline to take its planet friendly corporate philosophy a step further by transforming waste into new products, thereby reducing landfill waste and environmental pollution. Moreover, effective waste management from upcycling offers a practical solution in this age of economic scarcity and shortage of raw materials by extending the use of waste material in a sustainable manner.

Additionally, SriLankan will be empowering women through its project partner, House of Lonali, which is also a social entrepreneurial venture focusing on providing employment opportunities to talented women from low-income communities. Individuals employed by House of Lonali across the production process of Project Mathaka will be empowered to showcase their talent at an international level and earn a living at the same time.

The SMRB Global Aviation Awards were given out at the 41^st General Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada. Established in 2016, the SMBR Global Aviation Awards aims to recognize the contributions of business organizations and individuals to the success of the global aviation industry. The evaluation process and winner selection are guided by an international team of strategic partners.

Project Mathaka is one of several initiatives taken by the Environmental Affairs and Sustainability team of the airline towards advocating for the environment in measured and impactful ways. SriLankan was the first airline in Asia to introduce ‘Planet Friendly Flights’ back in 2009 and was named the second lowest carbon emitting airline in the Asia-Pacific in 2016 by Business Traveller.

Collaboration with like-minded partners and being part of the solution is the only way to fight against climate change. As a pioneer in the region for aviation sustainability, the airline through its Environmental Affairs and Sustainability team, continuously strives to create an eco-friendly attitude among its people. The community is often integrated into its projects, and the airline is hopeful that small steps will lead to greater achievement in terms of sustainability in the long run.