Three international airlines commence winter operations to Sri Lanka
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s tourism industry received a boost ahead of the peak winter season as three international airlines – Edelweiss from Switzerland, Belarusian Airlines (Belavia), and Russia’s Red Wings – commenced flight operations to Sri Lanka on Tuesday (28).
The flights arrived at both Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) in Hambantota, marking the start of the 2025 winter tourism season.
The inaugural Edelweiss flight from Zurich, carrying 257 passengers, landed at BIA, while Red Wings with 402 passengers and Belavia with 277 passengers arrived at Mattala.
Edelweiss, a leading Swiss holiday airline, resumed its winter operations to Sri Lanka, reinforcing the country’s appeal as a long-haul leisure destination among European travellers.
Belavia, the national carrier of Belarus, has scheduled one weekly flight connecting Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, with operational approval granted until March 8, 2026. The service is expected to strengthen connectivity between Eastern Europe and Sri Lanka during the winter travel period.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Red Wings Airlines, one of the country’s top ten carriers, has also launched its winter flight schedule to Mattala. The airline, which operates both scheduled and charter passenger services, will operate six weekly flights using a Boeing 777-200 aircraft with a seating capacity of 412 passengers. Red Wings plans to continue its operations until April 2026, with around 130 flights expected during the season.
The renewed flight operations come as Sri Lanka seeks to expand its tourism markets and attract high-spending European travellers to meet ambitious post-crisis recovery targets. The government aims for 3 million tourist arrivals and US$5 billion in revenue this year.
However, as of October 26, the country had welcomed 1.86 million foreign visitors, about 62% of its annual target, generating US$2.47 billion in tourism earnings during the first nine months of the year, according to official data.
Tourism officials said that the addition of new flights from Europe and Russia is expected to help accelerate arrivals during the upcoming winter months, traditionally the country’s busiest travel season.
“The resumption and expansion of flights by European and Russian carriers signal growing confidence in Sri Lanka’s tourism potential,” a senior Tourism Ministry official said. “Improved air connectivity is key to achieving our year-end targets.”
-ENCL
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