Sail Lanka Charter hosts PM on board latest luxury catamaran

Sail Lanka Charter hosted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe and his wife on-board their 53ft sailing catamaran, Sapphire, during the Fairway Galle Literary Festival.  The impressive vessel reflects local indigenous talent, as it was built in Sri Lanka using local materials. 

Gulf Air touches down in Colombo

The Kingdom of Bahrain’s national carrier, Gulf Air, yesterday celebrated the launch of its highly anticipated inaugural five weekly direct service between Colombo and Bahrain with the arrival of the airline’s first flight into Bandaranaike International Airport.

Sanjeev Gardiner invests in Quintessentially Sri Lanka and Maldives

Hotelier Sanjeev Gardiner has just confirmed his investment into Quintessentially Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the world’s leading source of intelligence access to and curated lifestyle services for the global premium audience.

Emirates to launch daily service to Newark via Athens

Emirates has announced it will launch a new daily service from Dubai to Newark Liberty International Airport, via the Greek capital city of Athens, starting 12th March.

Sri Lanka Tourism creates hallmark at Vakantiebeurs 2017

Sri Lanka tourism yet showed another aspect of its concern to boost the tourism sector, by participating in the Vakantiebeurs 2017 fair, held in Netherlands recently. 

Aitken Spence Hotels Turyaa Chennai amongst top five-star hotels

Turyaa Chennai, owned and operated by Aitken Spence Hotels has successfully met criteria for obtaining ‘5-Star Deluxe’ classification, ranking it as one of five hotels in Chennai to have obtained this highly sought after accreditation. 

George Steuarts Travels ranked No. 1 for fourth consecutive year

George Steuart Travel, the 43-year old travel arm of George Steuart and Co, the oldest mercantile establishment in Sri Lanka was recognized at the annual Passenger Sales

Emirates brings daily A380 service to Sao Paulo

Emirates, voted the World’s Best Airline in the 2016 Skytrax World Airline Awards, has announced that it will operate the first ever scheduled commercial Airbus A380 flight to South America when it upgrades its Dubai (DXB) – Sao Paulo (GRU) service on March 26.

Etihad chief to step down as Gulf carrier reviews strategy

REUTERS: Australian James Hogan is to stand down as head of the Etihad Airways group, the company said yesterday, as the Abu Dhabi-based carrier struggles with investments in European airlines.

Etihad Airways to increase Maldives frequency during peak summer months

Etihad Airways today announced four additional weekly flights on the popular Abu Dhabi – Maléroute, increasing frequency to the idyllic Maldives to 11 services a week between 1 July and 17 September. 

SriLankan most punctual among oneworld airlines in 4Q16

SriLankan Airlines has further enhanced its reputation as one of the most punctual airlines in the world, by being rated as the most on-time member airline of the oneworld global airline alliance in the fourth quarter of 2016, by the global flight data monitoring firm OAG.

Five-star food fiesta to kick off on August 24

An international food fiesta will be held on August 24, 25 and 26, 2017, at the Pettah floating market.  The food fiesta will be held according to a concept of the Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Faiszer Musthapha in order to promote the floating market. 

Cinnamon’s city hotels and SriLankan Airlines reward FlySmiLes members

Gastronomy has always been an integral part of the travel experience. It matters little whether one travels for business or leisure, the question of where and what to eat feature nears the top of any traveller’s priorities. 

Shangri-La’s Hambantota Resort – Best spot for adventure trail tours in southern coast

The guests of Shangri-La’s Hambantota Resort & Spa can take the opportunity to fulfil their travel goals for 2017 through a series of adventure tours and experiences. 

Sancharaka Udawa tourism trade fair to be held in May

The Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) announced the annual Sancharaka Udawa tourism product trade fair, which will bring to the forefront many unidentified small and medium service providers by creating a platform to showcase their services as well as build links with the tourism industry. 

Top tourism professional to promote Sri Lanka in Europe

A veteran hospitality and tourism industry professional has been appointed as honorary consultant to the Ministry of Tourism Development with special focus on Germany and the European Continent.  Minister of Tourism Development John Amaratunga officially presented the letter of appointment to Nihal Samarasinha at a special event in Colombo recently.

Emirates to launch daily flights to Croatia

Emirates has announced that it will further expand its European network with the introduction of a daily flight from Dubai to Zagreb (ZAG), the capital of Croatia from June 1. 

Colombo Dockyard delivers 80-passenger vessel to Northern Province

Colombo Dockyard successfully delivered the 80-passenger vessel built for the Northern Provincial Council on 10th January in Delft.

Fifty fifth visit to Sri Lanka amazing landmark to achieve

If anyone visits only one particular destination for the 55th time, and stays for the 50th time at the same hotel, then it’s something worth being interested, and something really remarkable.

Qatar Airways confirms ambitions for France in 2017

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker officially opened the new and luxurious Qatar Airways Premium Lounge at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport recently in the presence of honoured VIP guests.

SriLankan Airlines ensures easy passage for passengers

SriLankan Airlines is pleased to note that despite the closure of the runway during the daytime hours from 6th January to 6th April 2017, its services and operations at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake are proceeding seamlessly, with minimal inconvenience for both inbound and outbound tourists. 

Emirates A380 returns to Narita, Japan

Emirates will resume its flagship A380 service between Dubai and Narita from 26 March 2017.  This follows the airline’s recent A380 deployment to Moscow, and will take place after the upcoming launch of A380 services to Johannesburg. It will also coincide with the launch of A380 services between Dubai and Casablanca.

Gulf Air’s on time punctuality garners top ranking in 2016

Gulf Air, the Kingdom of Bahrain’s national carrier, has been independently ranked by UK aviation analysts OAG the most punctual airline in 2016, amongst GCC airlines, with an average on-time performance (OTP) of 82.7 percent. 

Kuwait Airways’ Big Sale is back

Kuwait Airways the national carrier of the State of Kuwait has re-introduced the much hyped Big Sale offer from 09th January. 

Etihad Airways introduces third daily flight to Riyadh

Etihad Airways is introducing a third daily flight on the Abu Dhabi – Riyadh route, effective 1st February.

Qatar Airways unveils biggest Travel Festival ever for 2017

Qatar Airways’ popular Travel Festival is back and has been significantly enhanced for 2017, inviting world travellers to take advantage of a number of exceptional deals across the airline’s global network. 

Qatar Airways CEO says swapping Airbus A320neo order for A321neos

REUTERS: Qatar Airways is to swap its order for up to 80 Airbus A320neos for the larger, longer-range A321 version, the airline’s Chief Executive said on Thursday.

SriLankan’s codeshare partnerships contribute to record tourist arrivals in 2016

The smooth functioning of SriLankan Airlines’ codeshare partnerships in the Western and Central European regions contributed in a significant manner to the growth of tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka in 2016, which expanded by 14 percent and crossed the two million milestone.

Boeing’s 2016 orders lowest since 2010, deliveries hit target

REUTERS: Boeing Co fell 80 planes short of its goal for new orders in 2016, but likely clinched the title of world’s biggest planemaker for another year.

Snowstorm hits traffic in Istanbul; straits closed, flights cancelled

REUTERS: A snowstorm forced the closure of Turkey’s key shipping straits and sweeping flight cancellations on Saturday, while hazardous roads left many drivers stranded overnight in Istanbul, a city of 15 million people.