First private sector scheduled flights to Jaffna to launch tomorrow

By Charumini de Silva

FitsAir on Saturday will become the first private sector operator to launch scheduled flights to Jaffna, fulfilling a big need for time-conscious travelers to and from the North. 

It will operate three weekly flights on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays, with departure from the Ratmalana International Airport at 7.30 a.m. and at 8.20 a.m. from Jaffna. 

The one-way ticket for the two-hour flight is priced at Rs. 7,500, cheaper as a market entry strategy than the Air Force flight, which costs Rs. 9,000. 

A 70-seat ATR 72 aircraft will be deployed for this service, and FitsAir Passenger Aircraft Marketing Manager T.Z. Mohamed Ishan told the Daily FT that the demand for the service is encouraging. 

FitsAir has been operating scheduled flights to Batticaloa for nearly a year, apart from charter flights on demand to airstrips close to tourist sites.