9 August 2023 02:41 pm Views - 1280
The first ever direct flights linking Israel and Sri Lanka will start this fall, with Israeli airline Arkia operating a route from Tel Aviv to Colombo which will take just 6 hours and 15 minutes, beginning in October, the Israel National News reported.
At the moment, Israelis wishing to travel to Sri Lanka have to make a connection stop, usually in Dubai or Istanbul.
The inaugural flight on for the new route is scheduled for October 31, with flights expected to be operated using the company's Airbus A321neo aircraft. Outbound flights will be offered on Tuesdays and return flights on Wednesdays.
"After significant efforts from both Israeli and Sri Lankan parties, it's happening," Arkia International CEO Oz Berlowitz said on Tuesday.
"A special thanks to the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) and the Israeli security authorities for their extraordinary efforts in opening up this destination, in full collaboration with the authorities in Sri Lanka who reciprocated the effort. We are considering adding more flights in the future," he added.