SriLankan set to play key role in tourism recovery

Dubai - SriLankan Airlines has implemented extensive protocols for health and safety onboard its aircraft and across its terminal facilities.

Sri Lanka's economic recovery will get a strong boost once it reopens borders for travellers as tourism is expected to be one of the primary drivers, said Ashok Pathirage, chairman of SriLankan Airlines.

The airline was forced to suspend scheduled services in early April as Sri Lanka took a tough stand on battling Covid-19. Now, with Sri Lanka's health and safety situation under control, the airline is ready to take to the skies and connect Sri Lanka with the world again.
Pathirage said: "Despite the challenges we face, we are looking forward to the reopening. Even though scheduled services were suspended, as the National Carrier, we have been working to provide relief flights to repatriate stranded Sri Lankans and other nationals. We have also been providing much needed cargo facilities to support our export industries and bring down essential emergency equipment and supplies to deal with the pandemic. We have been working around the clock to adapt our operations to meet health & safety guidelines and the challenging requirements of the 'new normal'."

Health and safety
SriLankan Airlines has implemented extensive protocols for health and safety onboard its aircraft and across its terminal facilities in line with directives and guidelines issued by local and global aviation and health and safety organisations such as the ICAO, Iata, Easa, WHO and Sri Lanka's ministry of health and department of civil aviation. These measures include physical distancing, facemasks and other protective gear for passengers and workers, routine disinfection of aircraft and terminal environments, health screening, contact-tracing, passenger health declarations and testing.

Pathirage said: "We have taken every reasonable precaution to minimise the risk of transmission of disease, thus ensuring the safety of our passengers and crew. Each aircraft is subjected to cleaning and disinfection before and after each flight. We have even removed all reading material from seat-back pockets and provided a mechanism for online pre-ordering of in-flight duty-free items to minimise physical contact."

SriLankan Airlines transformed its operations to include extensive cargo routes to support Sri Lanka's export industries and ship emergency supplies. By the end of July 2020, the airline has conducted over 500 dedicated cargo operations, carrying over 14.6 million kilogrammes of cargo to over 20 destinations across Europe, the Far East, the Middle East and India. This includes 14 cargo charter operations from China to Johannesburg, ferrying emergency supplies including over 50 million units of masks and PPE.
The airline went so far as to convert one of its A330 passenger aircraft into a dedicated freighter, adding 170 cubic metres or 45 metric tonnes of cargo capacity as part of ongoing efforts to meet the present demand for air cargo.
- business@khaleejtimes.com