Previously Singapore Airlines was operating an Airbus A350 and from last week it deployed the 337-seat Boeing B787-10 Dreamliner which increases seat capacity by 11% in addition to extra cargo space.
SIA General Manager Sri Lanka Zac Liew said that the airline will increase frequency from the current 4 times a week to daily from October given the rebound in air travel between Colombo and Singapore. “We need more capacity hence the decision to go daily,” he said at a Sri Lanka media engagement last week along with Singapore Tourism Board Regional Director for India, Middle East and South Asia G.B. Srithar and SIA Sales and Marketing Manager Radhini Fernando Seneviratne.
The daily frequency would mean SIA capacity reverting to almost pre-COVID level. It used to operate 9 flights per week. SIA expressed the hope that it could further expand capacity as well in tandem with demand.
“Sri Lanka is one of our important markets and we have been in operation for 53 years with Aitken Spence as our General Sales Agent. We are glad to expand our services in Sri Lanka thereby support the revival in tourism,” Zac said. He also said additional cargo space will help enhance Sri Lanka’s external trade prospects.
As part of renewed push in Sri Lanka, Singapore Tourism Board along with SIA met with over 70 travel agents in Sri Lanka. It was Singapore Tourism Board’s first engagement with the travel industry post-COVID as well as by a major outbound tourist destination.
“We are here to re-engage with Sri Lankan travellers and warmly welcome them back to Singapore,” STB’s Regional Director Srithar said, adding that the City State is fully open and welcoming visitors from all over the world.
He too stressed that Sri Lanka is an important market for Singapore tourism given the strong connections people have made, culturally, economically and politically for many decades. Singapore is one of the two countries in the world to offer Sri Lankans 30-day visa on arrival, with the other being the Maldives.
Srithar, who last visited Sri Lanka in 2017, revealed that Singapore saw highest ever tourist arrivals from Sri Lanka of 114,000 in 2018 before declining to around 99,000 in 2019. Post-COVID as well as lifting of restrictions, 2022 saw a pick-up in travel to Singapore with 36,000 visitors from Sri Lanka.
“We are confident of numbers increasing in 2023,” he said, adding that the average length of stay has seen a welcome increase to 7.2 days from 4.4 days in 2019. “This means Sri Lankans are staying longer enjoying the Singapore experience. “We want more Sri Lankans to come and do the same,” he said, pointing to Sri Lanka too experiencing improved stability after its economic crisis of last year.
Speaking of new attractions, STB Regional Director said Singapore now has a Museum of Ice Cream, whilst on 8 May, a brand new Birth Paradise will be opened within Mandai wildlife reserve in Singapore which also has a zoo, bird Park, and night Safari. He also revealed that or the first time Singapore will have a Disney Cruise available year-round for five years from 2025.
SIA said its Boeing 787-10s are fitted with 337 seats across two classes (36 lie-flat seats in Business Class on 1-2-1 seating configuration and 301 seats in Economy Class on 3-3-3 seating configuration). Compared to the previously operated Airbus A350, the Boeing B787-10 brings 34 more seats.
Passengers can look forward to a comfortable journey, experiencing large electronically dimmable windows, low cabin altitude, generous headroom and a quiet and smooth ride.
With exceptional operating efficiency and advanced technology, the B787-10 aircraft is also environmentally friendly with a small carbon footprint. The operation of a young fleet of new generation aircraft reaffirms SIA’s long-standing commitment towards sustainability. (ft.lk)
