Aitken Spence Travels handle inaugural Charter Flight of Thomson Airways from UK

Aitken Spence Travels handled the inaugural charter of Thomson Airways which arrived in Sri Lanka on the 8 of November 2016 at 1.30 p.m., carrying TUI clients from Thomsons and First Choice from London Gatwick.

The Dreamliner B787, the 300-seat aircraft will operate every Tuesday on a weekly basis during the period of November 2016 to April 2017. Aitken Spence Travels intends to serve over 7000 visitors to Sri Lanka through this charter operation as the official ground handler pertaining to logistics, transport, accommodation and tours of all travellers arriving on board.

The company is confident that the revived charter business from the UK will benefit stakeholders of the Tourism industry in Sri Lanka. The last charter from the UK market was in 2010 since then it has taken much effort and dedication to convince the charter operators to resume their flights back to Sri Lanka considering the aggressive competition posed by competing destinations.  

“The peaceful environment, competitive pricing, the extended product portfolio with a variety of choices has had an impact in persuading the charter operators to resume flights back to Sri Lanka. However, we have been persistent and not losing hope has paved the way in reality with this charter. This year we have succeeded in getting the attention of many new market segments and we are keen to continue this way. Sri Lanka has a lot to offer and it’s our responsibility to promote it effectively,” commented Aitken Spence Travels Managing Director Nalin Jayasundera.

As a result of the charter operations, arrivals from the UK as well as Ireland will see an increase in travellers and clients would have the convenience of booking a direct flight to Sri Lanka enabling a hassle free journey. Aitken Spence Travels, the leading destination management company in Sri Lanka and it is a joint venture between Aitken Spence PLC a blue chip conglomerate in Sri Lanka and TUI Group, the world’s number one leisure tourism business operator. An award-winning outfit of travel and tourism professionals Aitken Spence Travels handles an annual inbound volume of 140,000 tourists. 

Pix by Airport Correspondent Kumarasiri Prasad