KLM resumes flights to Colombo after nearly 20 years

World renowned carrier to operate twice weekly service from October

Amsterdam: At the start of the 2016 winter schedule, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will resume direct service to Sri Lanka’s Colombo International Airport from October, the airline said in a statement Monday.

The first flight to Colombo is scheduled to depart on Monday, 31 October. This marks KLM’s return to Colombo after an absence of almost 20 years. KLM suspended service to the Sri Lankan capital (then served via Abu Dhabi) in 1997 as the war escalated.

Sri Lanka has been a safe and stable country since the civil war came to an end in 2009. Since then, the economy - tourism in particular - has grown exponentially. 

Sri Lanka’s per capita income doubled in the past ten years and the island is a popular tropical leisure destination for Europeans, the Amsterdam-based airline said.

Throughout the winter season, KLM will operate a twice-weekly service to Colombo, departing from Schiphol on Mondays and Fridays, and returning from Colombo on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The flights will be operated with the latest addition to KLM’s intercontinental fleet: the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which has 30 seats in World Business Class, 48 seats in Economy Comfort and 216 seats in Economy Class.