Doha: SriLankan Airlines recorded 15 per cent growth in the number of passengers carried from Doha between April and December last year, generating an increased revenue of seven per cent, as compared to the same period in 2003, Ajith De Alwis, the airline's country manager for Qatar, said here yesterday.
Speaking to The Peninsula, Ajith saidd that SriLankan Airlines was also successful in trimming its operations cost out of Doha by one-third, following the deployment of Airbus A-320 aircraft on the Colombo route, instead of the Airbus A-330s.
He said that reducing the operational costs on the Doha-Colombo sector was one of his priorities when he took over as the country manager in June last year and that was achieved through the change of equipment. Ajith departs Doha shortly to take up a new assignment for the airline in the New Jersey state of USA.
He also attributed the increased revenue for the airline on the Yield Improvement Committee (YIC) accords on air fares to the Indian sub-continent, which had reduced the price war between airlines operating on the routes.
He said that despite the tsunamis that had caused severe damage and destruction in addition to killing thousands of people on Sri Lanka's coastal areas, SriLankan Holidays, the leisure wing of the airline, had not received any cancellations of holiday packages booked by residents of Qatar. Some cancellations however might occur in days to come, he feared.
Meanwhile, SriLankan Airlines has appointed Lakshman Weerasooriya as the new country manager for Qatar. Lakshman arrived in Doha on Saturday and was previously the airline's manager for Kerala in India.
He said, he would focus on catering to the Kerala-bound passenger market in Qatar and his experience in the southern Indian state would help his efforts.
He said that SriLankan Airlines, which currently offers four weekly flights between Doha and the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake near Colombo, was planning to increase the frequency to five or even six weekly flights, due to the heavy demand.
Some 30 per cent of passengers on any SriLankan Airlines flight out of Doha were bound for destinations in India, he added.
© The Peninsula 2005
