British Airways has resumed flights to Sri Lanka after a break of 10 years, with its first aircraft landing at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake on Saturday morning.

The Boeing 777-200ER, operating as flight BA2045 from London Gatwick Airport, arrived in Colombo in the morning. The airline plans to operate three flights a week between Gatwick and Colombo.

According to the airline’s published schedule, the flight leaves Gatwick at 5.30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and reaches Colombo at 9.00 a.m. the next day. The return flight leaves Colombo at 11.00 a.m. and lands at Gatwick at 5.00 p.m.

British Airways said the Colombo route will run as a seasonal service during its winter schedule. Passengers can book economy, premium economy and business class seats.

Advantis Aviation Services, a subsidiary of Sri Lanka’s Hayleys Group, will act as the airline’s General Sales Agent (GSA) in the country. A GSA represents an airline in a market where it has no office of its own, handling ticket sales and bookings on its behalf.

Background

The new service is expected to support Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, as the United Kingdom is one of the country’s key tourist markets. It is also expected to help business travel and strengthen trade, tourism and people-to-people links between the two countries.

SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier, also flies between Colombo and London, using Heathrow. British Airways’ flights to Gatwick add a second London airport to the options available to travellers on the route.

The return ends a 10-year gap in the airline’s service to Sri Lanka.

What it means

For Sri Lankans living in the United Kingdom, and for families with relatives there, the service offers another nonstop option to and from Colombo on three days of the week, alongside existing flights.

Because the route is scheduled for the winter season, it covers the months in which many visitors travel to Sri Lanka and many diaspora families return for the holidays. Added seats on a route can influence fares, but the airline has not published any fare comparison, and travellers should check the airline’s website or a travel agent for current prices and dates.

Passengers booking in Sri Lanka can arrange tickets through Advantis Aviation Services, the airline’s sales agent.