Batik Air to resume flights to Colombo in March

 Tourism Malayisa Director Hishamuddi, Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka Director General and Chief Executive Officer Capt. Daminda Rambukwella and Malaysian High Commissioner Badil Hisham Adam. PIC BY PRADEEP DILRUCKSHANA

• To boost regional tourism and aviation ties 

By Nishel Fernando 

In a boost to Sri Lanka’s aviation and tourism sectors, Malaysia-based Batik Air is set to officially resume its Kuala Lumpur-Colombo flight operations starting March 30.

The airline will operate four frequencies per week, establishing a crucial link that the officials believe will stimulate reciprocal tourism and position Colombo to tap into wider regional travel networks. 

The announcement was made during a dedicated trade event held at The Kingsbury hotel in Colombo yesterday, which gathered key stakeholders from the aviation and tourism industries of both nations.

Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka Director General and Chief Executive Officer Capt. Daminda Rambukwella highlighted the resumption as a landmark moment for the local industry. 

“That’s a huge thing for the development of civil aviation in Sri Lanka,” he remarked, noting the historical connectivity and deep cultural similarities between the two nations. 

He emphasised that aviation and tourism are two sides of the same coin, growing together in Sri Lanka, fuelled by a stable industry vision that has attracted multiple airlines in recent months. 

“Day by day, with the manifesto of the people and government’s vision to have a stable industry, we have seen in the last few months many airlines preferring to come to Sri Lanka,” Capt. Rambukwella stated.

The renewed air link is expected to do more than just facilitate direct travel between the two capitals. 

Malaysian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Badli Hisham Adam pointed out that the four weekly flights would offer greater convenience and flexibility, strategically positioning Kuala Lumpur as a gateway for tourists travelling to Sri Lanka from the ASEAN nations, East Asia and Australia. 

“Improved airlinks are more than transportation. They are bridges between people, cultures and economies,” Adam said, adding that every traveller represents a vital opportunity to strengthen mutual understanding and people-to-people connections.

Adam also highlighted the broader tourism potential for both nations, drawing parallels between shared culinary traditions, such as ‘kalu dodol’ and the significant historical bonds shared with the Sri Lankan Malay community.

He noted that as Malaysia targets a nearly 25 percent increase in tourist arrivals by 2035 and prepares for ‘Visit Malaysia Year’ in 2026, the reciprocal flow of tourists would bring mutual economic benefits. 

Acknowledging Sri Lanka’s diverse offerings from Nuwara Eliya to Galle, Adam expressed confidence that the route would significantly strengthen the longstanding friendship, trade and overall relationship between the two countries.