Sri Lanka and Israel yesterday signed an agreement to initiate direct flights between Colombo and Tel Aviv.
The signatories were the visiting Israel Transport Minister Miri Regive and Sri Lanka’s Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.
The new service will start in March on a scheduled timetable. Since last December, five chartered aircrafts belonging to Arkia Israeli Airlines have operated services to the Bandaranaike International Airport. The A321 aircraft deployed has the capacity to carry almost 300 passengers.
The Israeli Minister emphasised that several other airlines in Israel have also expressed their consent to start air services between the two airports.
Minister de Silva said that since nearly 20,000 Sri Lankan workers are engaged in various jobs in Israel, these direct flights are convenient and provide an opportunity to reduce air fares.
The Israeli Transport Minister said that a large number of tourists from Israel are looking forward to visiting Sri Lanka and launch of direct flights will lead to the development of bilateral relations between the two countries.
The Minister said that she will provide the necessary technical assistance to expand the facilities of Sri Lanka’s airports and said that she will inform the Israeli Parliament about this agreement.
