Abu Dhabi-based airline, Rotana Jet has recently started operating flights to Sri Lanka’s Colombo and Mattala airports. Sri Lanka is the first international destination outside the Gulf region for where the airline is offering tickets to.
Travellers looking for air tickets to Sri Lanka from the UAE now have yet another airline alternative to consider before going ahead with their decision. Abu Dhabi-based airline Rotana Jet has started flights to Sri Lanka’s Colombo and Mattala airports. The flights are operational from Wednesday April 09, 2014.
The move is seen as a part of the airline’s expansion. Sri Lanka has become the carrier’s first international destination outside the Gulf region.
The two-year old carrier has acquired an Airbus A319 to offer tickets for the longer service to Sri Lanka. Tickets for three flights a week from Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi to Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport and the recently opened Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota are being offered as of now. Air tickets for business and economy class seats are provided to fliers. Rotana Jet has acquired a second A319 and has plans to expand the frequency of its services to the island nation from three times weekly flights to six times a week.
The airline’s top management believes the large number of Sri Lankans who work in the Gulf will drive the traffic and lead to spurt in the sale of air tickets on the route. The airline is also targeting the migrant worker traffic from Sri Lanka to Middle Eastern destinations that are being served by the Abu Dhabi-based carrier.
There are reports that Rotana has formalised an interline agreement with Sri Lankan Airlines for travel beyond Sri Lanka. This has been done to target key destinations in South India like Trichy and Madurai, where not many Gulf carriers are offering tickets to presently.
