SriLankan's Country Manager Singapore, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, Mohan Meegolle (right) accepting the award from Lee Seow Hiang , CEO of Changi Airport Group.
SriLankan Airlines has won the award for 'Top Airline by Growth in Passenger Carriage (South Asia)' from Singapore's Changi Airport for the highest growth in traffic to Singapore from the region in 2009.
SriLankan's Head of Worldwide Sales Mohamed Fazeel said: "SriLankan Airlines is delighted to receive this honour as proof of our status as a valued partner for the tourism industries of both Singapore and Sri Lanka. While inter-regional travel from traditional markets such as Europe remains important, SriLankan Airlines fully comprehends the tremendous potential for growth within Asia itself, driven by the insatiable appetite for travel among the fast-growing middle-classes in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and China."
Just weeks ago in neighbouring Malaysia, SriLankan Airlines was named the Best Airline Operator from South Asia for the fifth consecutive year at the annual KLIA Awards which honours contributions to Malaysia's travel and tourism industry. SriLankan was also last month named 'Airline of the Year' at Sri Lanka's Presidential Awards for Travel and Tourism 2009 for the second consecutive time.
Travel between Singapore and Sri Lanka has grown by 55% in the first six months of 2010. SriLankan's leisure arm SriLankan Holidays also works in close partnership with Singapore's tourism authority to promote it as a destination.
SriLankan's Country Manager Singapore, Mohan Meegolle, said: "Singapore is one of the most important hubs for SriLankan Airlines' global operations, to which we have been operating since the inception of our airline in 1979. Over the past year we have been promoting travel to Singapore and through Singapore, not only from Sri Lanka, but also from many other regions, carrying out awareness programmes in cities such as Jakarta."
Lim Ching Kiat, Changi Airport Group's Director, Market Development, congratulated SriLankan on its win. Mr. Lim said, "This new award by region recognises the airlines that registered the highest growth within their respective regions. SriLankan Airlines saw strong traffic growth to Singapore in 2009 and we look forward to working closely with SriLankan, as part of the Changi Airport Growth Initiative, to further develop their operations at Changi."
SriLankan, which on 1st July launched a new service to Shanghai, has a global route network of 49 destinations in 31 countries. The airline recently significantly upgraded its on-board services, comforts, meal services, beverages and facilities, vowing to "Change the way we fly, and the way our customers experience travel".
SriLankan connects Singapore with 10 weekly flights from Colombo, a service that is highly popular among Sri Lanka's leisure travelers, businessmen, students bound for higher education in Singapore, and also Indian travelers catching connecting flights from South Indian cities such as Chennai, Trichy and Trivandrum. In addition, passengers bound for Colombo from other countries such as Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand are also routed via Singapore.
The Changi Airline Awards 2010 recognises the contribution of leading airlines towards developing Changi Airport as an air hub. The ceremony was held at Singapore's Regent Hotel on 13th July. Recipients of awards for growth in other regions were Tiger Airways (Singapore), Cebu Pacific Air (Southeast Asia), Cathay Pacific (Northeast Asia), Jetstar Airways (Southwest Pacific), Qatar Airways (Middle East) and Lufthansa (Europe). The event was graced by Singapore's Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Raymond Lim.
SriLankan is one of 89 airlines operating to Changi Airport, connecting Changi to more than 200 cities in 60 countries. Changi Airport, which handled 37.2 million passengers annually, recorded 16.7% growth in passenger traffic and 17.3% in freight in 2009.
Caption: SriLankan's Country Manager Singapore, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, Mohan Meegolle (right) accepting the award from Lee Seow Hiang , CEO of Changi Airport Group.
