Dubai, 18 December 2005:  Full flight schedules, real-time departure and arrival data and aircraft types flown by SriLankan Airlines are now available at the touch of a mobile phone button following the launch of a revolutionary new hyperlink system developed in-house by the carrier's IT team.

Anyone with a GPRS-enabled mobile telephone can browse the system by keying in 'gprs.srilankan.aero', doing away with the need to call the airline or airport for flight information, while a live link to the SriLankan flight control tracking system ensure that data is updated constantly.

A user-friendly design gives both local and universal time, and shows flights in the air in green while those that have landed are depicted in blue, and information includes both flights to 49 cities on the SriLankan network and all domestic services operated by the SriLankan Air Taxi to 14 destinations around the country.

According to UAE country manager Desiree Premachandra, the innovation is an extension of the airline's new online booking and e-ticketing service, which is available in UAE.

She said: "Customers these days are demanding instant information, rapid service and seamless travel, and developments such as the new mobile data check are keeping SriLankan at the forefront of travel technology.

"As well as information on all SriLankan flights, we are also adding details of other airlines that operate through Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, a facility that will enhance the travel experience for all visitors to Sri Lanka."

-Ends-

Editors' notes
SriLankan Airlines was created in April 1998 when Air Lanka, was privatised following the establishment of a strategic partnership with Dubai-based Emirates Airline. The agreement saw Emirates take a 40 per cent shareholding in the company and undertake a 10-year management agreement, during which time SriLankan has been established as southern Asia's preferred international carrier.

Following its transformation, SriLankan has won a string of international aviation awards including Best Airline in Central Asia from UK's Skytrax Research for four years in a row, (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004), underlining its new reputation as a world-class carrier.

In 2003, SriLankan was voted as having the friendliest cabin crew by Skytrax, and also won the award for Best In-flight Entertainment (for a fleet size of 20 or less) at the annual World Airline Entertainment Association's Avion awards in the USA.

Meanwhile, the airline's sky taxi service has revolutionised domestic air travel in Sri Lanka, offering transfers between the airport and Colombo and Kandy, Koggala, Bentota, Trincomalee, Anuradhapura and Hingurakgoda - flight times from Bandaranaika International Airport are just 30 minutes to each town except for Trincomalee, which is a 45-minute transfer. The network incorporate most major tourist sites, from the beach resorts on the west coast around Bentota and Galle (Koggala), as well as Polonnaruwa (Hingurakgoda), Anuradhapura, Kandy and Trincomalee. 

For further information:
For media enquiries: Kirstie Hepburn / Mohamed Tawil
Strategic Solutions for SriLankan Airlines in Arabia
Tel: +971 4 3903030,
email media@strategicsolutionsonline.com
 
For airline information: www.srilankan.aero
 
Holiday information: www.srilankan-holidays.com

© Press Release 2005