British Airways returns to Sri Lanka after 11 years with special fares

Daily FT and EconomyNext report that British Airways has resumed direct flights between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom after an absence of more than 11 years. Ada Derana (தமிழ்) also reports that direct services have restarted, describing the return as the first since 2015.

Daily FT and EconomyNext report that the inaugural flight arrived in Colombo on October 24. EconomyNext reports that the airline plans to operate three flights a week on Boeing 777 aircraft, with three cabin classes: Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller.

EconomyNext reports that return World Traveller economy tickets from Colombo to London Gatwick start at 255,000 rupees, and that discounts of up to 10 percent are also available. The outlet attributes the fare information to the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation.

EconomyNext reports that British Airways Chief Planning and Strategy Officer Neil Chernoff said the service reconnects Sri Lanka to the airline’s global network. The outlet also reports that Hayleys Advantis Managing Director Ruwan Waidyaratne said the return would develop air connectivity between Sri Lanka and the UK.

EconomyNext reports that the service is expected to support tourism, trade and business ties. It also notes that SriLankan Airlines has historically operated the Colombo–London Heathrow route, which it describes as one of the national carrier’s resilient and lucrative premium long-haul sectors.