Tourism News

Smooth landing for Sri Lankan Airlines

The fag end of April saw Sri Lankan Airlines launching its flight service to Kochi, when the A 320 Airbus, carrying 93 passengers onboard, touched the runway at the Cochin International Airport. The crew and the passengers were given a traditional Kerala style reception by the Minister for Tourism, Prof. K. V. Thomas, Mr. M. A. Chandrasekharan MLA, Tourism Director, Mr. Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) Managing Director, Mr. V. J. Kurien and Directors, Mr. C. V. Jacob and Mr. M. A. Yusufali. A delegation led by head of the Lankan Airlines? Commercial Department, Mr. G. T. Jeyaseelan also accompanied the inaugural flight. ?Sri Lankan Airlines will try its best to spread the tourism potential of Kerala all over the world,? said Mr. Jeyaseelan at a function held as part of the launching of flight operations. The flight service to the city would be officially inaugurated at Kochi on May 6. ?Sri Lankan Airlines would bring European and Japanese tour operators during the inaugural function,? said Jayaseelan. According to the Minister for Tourism, Mr. K. V. Thomas a draft Memorandum Of Understanding between Sri Lanka and Kerala for the promotion of tourism has been cleared by both the State and Central Governments. The MoU will be signed during the ?Destination Sri Lanka Trade Mart, one of the largest trade fairs in the world, which would begin at Colombo on May 17, he added. The main agenda of the state tourism department is for promoting health tourism and a delegation will attend the Arabian Trade Mart (ATM) at Dubai during May 5-9 for the purpose, said Minister Thomas. The Civil Aviation Ministry has approved ?Fifth Freedom? allowing Sri Lankan Airlines to take passengers to Maldives from India. Sri Lankan Airlines will fly thrice a week between Kochi and Colombo, on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.