SriLankan Airlines strengthens Oneworld’s presence in the Maldives and southern India.
SriLankan Airlines was formally announced as a member designate of the Oneworld Alliance at a fringe meeting of the IATA 2012 World Air Transport Summit in Beijing last week. SriLankan will not, however, become a fully active member until next year. Cathay Pacific is sponsoring the airline’s admission and supporting it through the alliance’s admission program. SriLankan has experienced significant growth recently and now operates a fleet of 21 aircraft. It carried 3.5 million passengers last year between its base in the capital Colombo and 34 destinations across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
SriLankan will bring three new destinations on to the Oneworld network– Kochi, Tiruchirapalli and Thiruvananthapuram, all in southern India. SriLankan is also the largest carrier serving the Maldives.
Its admission means its frequent fliers will be able to earn and redeem rewards on any of Oneworld’s other carriers, with top tier members able to use any of the group’s 550-plus airport lounges. Crucially for SriLankan’s members, they will also have access to the alliance’s fare structure.
