SRILANKAN Airlines will launch flights to Coimbatore on October 29, making this south Indian city the airline’s 11th destination in India. “The service aims to provide convenient connection for Indian expatriates from Qatar travelling to and from Tamil Nadu and Kerala and other Indian destinations,” said Lakshman Weerasooriya, SriLankan Airlines’s manager for Qatar.

The airline will initially operate four flights a week on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday using the Airbus A320 aircraft. It already has flights to three major cities in Kerala – Trivandrum, Kozhikode, and Kochi; and two in Tamil Nadu – Chennai (Madras) and Trichy.

Senaka Fernando, regional manager, Indian subcontinent & Maldives, said: “SriLankan Airlines is very familiar with the travel requirements of South Indian passengers, and we take great care in providing the best facilities to them.” Passengers will transit through Colombo, giving them a chance to buy a wide range of products, including international brands, said he.