Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the managing body of Bahrain International Airport (BIA), recently held a ceremony to welcome back SriLankan Airlines operations to the kingdom.

The ceremony, heald at BIA, was attended by Sri Lankan Ambassador Dr. A. Saj U. Mendis; Mohamed Al Binfalah, chief executive officer of Bahrain Airport Company; Samantha Nagahawatte - SriLankan Airline country manager; top officials from the Civil Aviation Authority, Bahrain Airport Company and Srilankan Airline along with senior airport and Government officials.

In his welcome remarks at the landing of the SriLankan Airlines flight at Bahrain International Airport, Al Binfalah lauded the airline’s steady growth and said: “The return of SriLankan Airlines operations to Bahrain has further strengthened the kingdom’s position as an emerging hub for airlines in the Mena region”.  

“Bahrain international Airport will remain committed to providing excellent services to all airlines and passengers at the airport as we endeavor in promoting airline success and leading partnership initiatives going forward and welcome the return of SriLankan Airlines,” he added

Captain Suren Ratwatte, chief executive officer of SriLankan Airlines, said: “SriLankan Airlines is delighted to commence services to the Kingdom of Bahrain. We consider this a great opportunity in strengthening our relationship with the kingdom, in order to fulfill both countries aspirations of becoming a travel hub for their respective regions. In this regard we at SriLankan consider this an important step in our new strategy that is focused on expanding operations throughout the Middle East and Asia in order to provide convenient connections to our global route network.”

The relaunch of SriLankan Airlines operations to Bahrain is a reflection of its progressive growing operations in the region. SriLankan Airlines recently emphasized its positioning as an airline of choice amongst discerning global travelers by being named “Best Full Service Airline in Central and South Asia” at the Future Travel Experience Asia Awards 2016 in Singapore for the second consecutive year.

SriLankan Airlines commercial flight service using its Airbus fleet between Sri Lanka and Bahrain is expected to bolster tourism and commercial ties between the two countries. - TradeArabia News Service