SriLankan wins ‘Best in Region’ APEX Award

SriLankan Airlines’ entry, among an elite list of world airlines that vied for Passenger Choice Awards of the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) in USA, won the award for Best in Region: Asia & Australasia, at a gala ceremony in Long Beach, California, on 17 September 2012.

The ceremony was held during the APEX 2012 EXPO at the Long Beach Convention Centre from 17-20 September, the premier venue for exhibitors to showcase new products and innovations that will improve the airline cabin environment and enhance the air travel experience.

APEX, which was formally known as the World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA) based in New York, is a premier global association management firm with representation in USA, Europe, China, Middle East and Asia. APEX annually celebrates outstanding inflight services, products, innovations of airlines and vendors committed to improve the airline passenger experience worldwide.

Having won a prestigious award for Best in Region – Asia & Australasia  competing with finalists Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines,  Kingfisher Airlines and Air New Zealand, SriLankan was also placed in the finals of three other categories: ‘Best Overall Passenger Experience (Up to 50 IFE equipped in Fleet)’, ‘Best Inflight Video’, & ‘Best Food & Beverage’.

“Winning an APEX Passenger Experience award underlines our commitment to our passengers and the airline’s continued pursuit of excellence to achieve our goal in providing the best experience inflight. The award is of great value to us, as the endorsements come from the passengers themselves,” said SriLankan Airlines’ Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena.

The elite list of airlines that won APEX awards in other categories included, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Virgin America, South African Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Southwest Airlines, Norwegian & Kingfisher Airlines.

“The awards this year are the result of an impressive turnout on the passenger side, as well as the continued efforts of airlines to stand out as the leaders in passenger experience,” said Dominic Green, APEX Events & EXPO Chair and Senior Director for Client Services at Spafax. “We congratulate our winners and look forward to the continued success of this program.” While the 2012 Passenger Choice Awards campaign closed on 30 June 2012, the 2013 awards cycle is now open to passengers, who are encouraged to express their views on what is on offer to make their inflight experience worthwhile. See www.passengerchoiceawards.com.

SriLankan Airlines, the National Airline of Sri Lanka, is an award winning carrier. It is the largest international carrier serving the neighbouring Maldives, and has a significant presence in South Asia. SriLankan operates a fleet of 21 modern Airbus aircraft fitted with luxurious flatbed seats in Business Class and the latest inflight entertainment systems. On average, it carries 3.5 million passengers a year between its Colombo hub and 59 destinations in 33 countries across Asia, Europe, North America, Australia and the Middle East.

SriLankan’s fully owned subsidiary, SriLankan Catering, provides world-class meals to all other airlines operating via Colombo, prepared at its state-of-the-art catering facility. For domestic travel, SriLankan maintains its floatplane service – the SriLankan Air Taxi, which has access to 15 destinations across Sri Lanka. The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) encompasses a network of businesses and professionals that are committed to providing a world-class airline experience for passengers around the globe. Every day, APEX members are improving every aspect of the airline experience: from designing, building and installing seating, entertainment and communications systems on commercial aircraft, to airport lounges and inflight dining.

SriLankan’s Hambantota office opens today



In a bid to increase its presence in all parts of the country SriLankan Airlines opens its latest passenger sales office in Hambantota today.

The Hambantota office is the second officially declared Passenger Sales Agency (PSA) office of the airline for the year, bringing all sales related services, directly to the people of the district.

The national carrier has appointed Classic Travel Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of the Expolanka Holdings conglomerate, as its PSA to spearhead the operation.  The office is located at No. 30, Wilmot Street, Hambantota.