Global network one of the biggest value drivers, says Emirates

In the 30 years since it launched services to Colombo, Emirates has grown in to the world’s largest airline, pioneered numerous innovations, won hundreds of awards and become a benchmark for luxury air travel, but it is its global network of 150 plus destinations that is of greatest value to a country like Sri Lanka which has a vibrant tourist industry, reasons Chandana de Silva, the airline’s Area Manager for Sri Lanka and Maldives.Excerpts from an interview:

Chandana De Silva - Emirates Area Manager Sri Lanka & Maldives

"When Emirates began flights to Sri Lanka in April 1986, the airline was less than a year old, and Colombo was its fourth destination. It was a modest beginning, but that said, Sri Lanka was in the midst of a conflict at that time and travel to the country was on the decline. However, Emirates had faith in the potential of the market and periodically increased flights and upgraded aircraft. Today, Emirates is the largest airline in the world, and links Sri Lanka to a global network of more than 150 destinations, via 40 flights a week to and from Colombo. Clearly, there has been a lot of growth over the 30 years, and one of the biggest beneficiaries has been Sri Lanka’s tourism industry because we fly in tourists from around the world"

Q: Emirates celebrates 30 years of operations in Sri Lanka this year. What does this mean for the airline and the country?

A: First of all, for both Sri Lanka and Emirates, it signifies a relationship that has stood the test of time and has been mutually beneficial. To put this in context, one needs look back at what has happened over the past three decades. When Emirates began flights to Sri Lanka in April 1986, the airline was less than a year old, and Colombo was its fourth destination. It was a modest beginning, but that said, Sri Lanka was in the midst of a conflict at that time and travel to the country was on the decline. 

However, Emirates had faith in the potential of the market and periodically increased flights and upgraded aircraft. Today, Emirates is the largest airline in the world, and links Sri Lanka to a global network of more than 150 destinations, via 40 flights a week to and from Colombo. Clearly, there has been a lot of growth over the 30 years, and one of the biggest beneficiaries has been Sri Lanka’s tourism industry because we fly in tourists from around the world.

Q: What do you consider to be the most valuable contribution of Emirates to Sri Lanka?

A: I believe the most important aspect of our contribution to the country is the connectivity we bring – in other words our global network. Good and frequent connections by air to the key markets of the world are vital for a country’s growth. Dubai is a great example. It is not a secret that the evolution and growth of Emirates has been integral to the development and growth of Dubai in to what it is today. Sri Lanka’s economy is heavily dependent on the export of manufactured goods and commodities, on tourism and on the earnings of expatriate labour. 

Large numbers of students travel overseas each year for their higher education, and with the sizeable Sri Lankan communities in countries like Australia, Canada, the UK, USA, France and Italy, there is always a lot of air travel to visit friends and relatives. With Emirates operating 40 flights a week to two of the biggest transit hubs in the region – Dubai and Singapore – with convenient connections to a network that spans six continents, we play a significant role in facilitating business, leisure and student travel and the transport of cargo. In terms of inbound traffic, Emirates is one of the biggest carriers of foreign tourists to Sri Lanka.

Q: What are the most important destinations for Sri Lankan travellers?

A: There is a lot of demand for travel to the UK, to Europe, USA, Australia, the Middle East and Singapore. Given the spread of our destination network and the number of flights we operate from Colombo to Dubai and the frequencies from Dubai to key cities around the world, Emirates is a logical choice for air travel from Colombo. We currently operate to 39 cities in Europe including destinations for which there is heavy demand from Sri Lanka, such as London, Paris, Rome, Milan, Zurich, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. 

We offer by far the best connections from Colombo to North America, with New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Boston and Toronto some of the more popular destinations. There is also a lot of demand for travel to Melbourne via Singapore, and, as you can imagine, a lot of traffic between Colombo and Malé.

Q: What are the new destinations that have been added to the Emirates network in the past year?

A: We have launched new services to Cebu and Clark in the Philippines, Yinchuan and Zhengzhou in Mainland China, Yangon in Myanmar and Hanoi in Vietnam so far this year. In 2015 we commenced flights to Bali, Indonesia, Multan in Pakistan, Orlando in the USA, Mashhad in Iran, Bologna in Italy and to Sabiha Gokcen airport Istanbul, Turkey. It’s quite a diverse and interesting collection of destinations.

Q: Of these new destinations on the network, which are of interest to Sri Lankan travellers?

A: Orlando, Florida is certainly a destination that excites many travellers. It is Emirates’ 10th gateway to the US. Orlando is famous for its world-class theme parks, family entertainment and year round sunshine which bring in over 59 million visitors each year. It also has a strong business base with thriving industries in Advanced Technology, Film and Digital Media production, Aerospace and Life Sciences. Bologna in Italy is also a destination that I am sure many Sri Lankans would love to visit.

Q: So where will Emirates fly to next?

A: That is something that even our competitors would like to know. What I can say is that Emirates takes great pride in its role as a global connector of people, places and passions and seeks to fulfil the travel aspirations of multiple customer segments. A lot of research goes into customer preferences and travel trends in the planning of the network, and every new destination is comprehensively assessed for potential. Right now, we are in the process of enhancing capacity and up-gauging aircraft on key rotes to keep up with demand.

"I believe the most important aspect of our contribution to the country is the connectivity we bring – in other words our global network. Good and frequent connections by air to the key markets of the world are vital for a country’s growth. Dubai is a great example. It is not a secret that the evolution and growth of Emirates has been integral to the development and growth of Dubai in to what it is today. Sri Lanka’s economy is heavily dependent on the export of manufactured goods and commodities, on tourism and on the earnings of expatriate labour"