SriLankan Airlines opens plush sales office in Jaffna

Saturday, 5 May 2012 03:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

SriLankan Airlines expands its operations in the North of Sri Lanka, opening its newest Sales Office in the heart of the Jaffna Peninsula yesterday.

The branch office will facilitate travel formalities to a large clientele in the Jaffna and Kilinochchi areas, being fully equipped to handle reservations, ticketing, Prepaid Ticket Advices (PTAs), requests for special services, information on fares, schedules and packages – essentially offering the same sales activity carried out by any city office of the airline. SriLankan Airlines has appointed Metro Travels and Tours as its Passenger Sales Agency (PSA) to spearhead the operation.

The ceremony began with the blessings of the Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Islamic clergy and was officially opened by the Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, Douglas Devananda. Also in attendance were the Mayor of Jaffna Yogeshwary Patgunarajah, special invitees of the Government, a contingent of representatives from the airline which included its Chief Marketing Officer, G.T Jeyaseelan and several Senior Management officials; representatives of the PSA and the media.

“SriLankan is pleased to extend its services to support the development and enhancement of the North, which is one of the highest priorities of the government of Sri Lanka,” said SriLankan’s Chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe.

Considering the increasing customer base for air travel to and from the northern region, the new operation will expand the size of the airline’s local market.

“We are confident that this initiative will bring more opportunities, just as much as it will fuel the company’s growth. Extending our services to the North has been a priority in our Business Plan,” said SriLankan’s CEO Kapila Chandrasena.

“We are reaching out strategically to establish closer links with the communities in every area of Sri Lanka through our network of PSA offices and I am pleased to announce that Jaffna is among the first such PSA offices to be re-opened,” said Jeyaseelan. “We are also aware of the great potential for growth in the region.”

The North, which is on a remarkable recovery phase, is generating increased domestic and foreign travel, creating a need for more convenient travel options and services.

“Bringing our services closer to our customers by providing direct and easy access under one roof, is our main aim,” said the airline’s Manager Sri Lanka and Maldives, Saminda Perera.

At the ceremony, the airline announced a Raffle Draw to win a ticket to any destination in India, for customers who purchase tickets from the Jaffna Office, during the first six months, from 4 May.

The PSA Office will be manned by proficient staff and is located at No. 272, Stanley Road. It will be open from 0815-1700hrs on weekdays and from 0815-1230hrs on Saturdays (except mercantile and poya holidays).