The key to SriLankan Airlines’ success is a deep understanding of market dynamics, with region-specific services and amenities, particularly evident in its rapid growth in the Indian market. Richard Nuttall, CEO, SriLankan Airlines, offers a fresh perspective on the airline’s enduring legacy of service excellence, priority markets, initiatives, and future plans.
Providing convenient connections to a vast global network, its direct route maps significant cities across Europe, Australia, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, South East Asia, and the Far East. SriLankan Airlines has the state-of-the-art A330-300 and modern A320/321neo fleet. The airline network includes direct and codeshare flights to 114 destinations in 62 countries. It flies to nine cities in India and currently operates 21 aircraft, which it hopes to increase to 25 by the end of the year. The expansion will be aimed at increasing frequencies to existing destinations rather than expanding to new destinations, particularly in India and Southeast Asia.
India, a Priority Market
Highlighting the remarkable rise of the Indian market, Richard shares, “We have seen a threefold increase in visitors from India since last year. The free visa policy, targeted marketing campaigns, and increased flights have significantly affected this growth. A long-term policy of free visas will certainly have a positive impact on the number of incoming visitors from India, especially for short trips and weekend travel.”
Historically, most European traffic to Sri Lanka is connected through West Asia, but there has been a noticeable shift towards connecting through India. Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru are emerging as key hubs for European connections. The increase in transit traffic from Europe via India to Colombo has tripled since the COVID-19 pandemic. Richard points out, “Revenues from the Indian Subcontinent, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe are evenly divided. Our biggest revenue-generating countries are India, the UK, and Australia.”
The airline makes significant efforts to cater to the tastes and interests of Indian travellers. “We offer a vegetarian meal option in every sector, and our Indian customers can enjoy a selection of inflight entertainment content, including movies in Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil,” Richard informed.
In the ever-evolving aviation landscape, Richard succinctly captures the pivotal challenge many airlines face today: the critical shortage of fleets and engines. He says, “Our biggest challenge at present, as for many airlines, is access to fleets and engines. If we had more capacity, we would fly more.”
Cutting-Edge Initiatives
SriLankan Airlines is setting new standards in the region with the recent introduction of advanced self-service kiosks and a bag drop facility at Bandaranaike International Airport. To stay ahead in the fiercely competitive aviation market, the airline employs focused marketing strategies to maintain its relevance. Richard emphasised their unique approach, “We continue to differentiate ourselves with Sri Lankan hospitality, our food and beverages, and a consistent focus on the needs of our various customer segments.” Alongside its gracious mid-air hospitality, SriLankan Airlines offers the Serendib Lounge, an exclusive airport space for premier customers. With seating for 80 and dining for 20, the lounge provides an elegant and relaxed environment, catering to the needs of modern business travellers.
To enhance brand loyalty and keep frequent flyers engaged and coming back for more, Richard shares exciting news, “We have just upgraded the IT infrastructure for FlySmiLes, our frequent flyer programme that also has validity across the Oneworld Alliance, of which SriLankan is a member. This will allow us to introduce new features gradually.”
Sustainability Programmes
SriLankan Airlines is committed to reducing its carbon footprint through industry-leading practices in fuel efficiency, carbon emission monitoring, and landfill waste reduction, which is highlighted by its Mathaka upcycling project. The airline also plays an active role in the restoration and preservation of Sri Lanka’s mangrove forests and the conservation of seagrass habitats across the island.
The airline recently introduced new sustainable amenities in Business Class, like the new eco-friendly pillow covers and headrest covers (antimacassars) made from recycled PET plastic (rPET), proving it to be a sustainability-forward organisation while continuing to provide customers with the highest standards of quality.
Future Plans
Richard mentioned that their primary objective at present is to enhance the number of flights to the destinations they already serve. He adds, “We aim to expand frequencies to the number of cities served as quickly as we can increase our fleet. However, we do have new cities in our medium-term plans. We believe the Indian market is in a period of rapid growth, which we expect to continue for several years.”
