Vietnam Airlines will be commencing flights to Sri Lanka, while there is a possibility that Drukair – Royal Bhutan Airlines and Bhutan Airlines may also commence direct flights to the country, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, CAA Director General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Sagara Kotakadeniya stated that during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to Vietnam, an agreement had been struck with the Vietnamese Government to commence direct flights between the two nations.
“A Government-to-Government agreement was reached after the President’s visit to Vietnam, where it was agreed to commence direct flights between the two countries,” he stated.
He added that Vietnam Airlines would commence operating flights to the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), but declined to provide a timeline, stating that it was premature.
Kotakadeniya further revealed that an agreement had been reached with Bhutan to commence direct flights between the two nations.
However, he said: “While Bhutan has come to an agreement with us, they have not made a commitment as to whether they will operate their own airlines here.”
Accordingly, he noted that although it was yet to be confirmed, they were hopeful that Drukair – Royal Bhutan Airlines and Bhutan Airlines would commence operating flights to Sri Lanka.
The CAA Director General further said that Singapore Airlines was looking to expand its operations in Sri Lanka by operating additional flights to the country from next month onwards.
He added that Singapore Airlines would be looking to operate these additional flights during off-peak hours.
