Business

Air France launches direct flights between Colombo and Paris

Published

5 years ago

2021/11/6

Sahan Weerasooriya

Jean Noel Rault GM Indian Sub Continent Air France KLM

Air France expands its long – haul network with the launch of three weekly direct flights between Paris and Colombo.

Customers will be able to travel to Paris and connect to the Air France global network with close to 200 destinations via the convenient hub of Paris, Charles de Gaulle.

Flight schedule:

Colombo will be served as a seasonal operation in the winter schedule 2021 – 22 and a continuation of the Air France flight from Male.

Customers will experience the best of Air France cabins on board the Boeing 787-9 operating on this route.

 Seating capacity of 279 seats (30 in Business, 21 in Premium Economy and 228 in Economy class)

 Full – flat beds in Business Class

 A dedicated Premium Economy cabin with more comfort and space

 Comfortable economy cabin with ample legroom and practical accessories such as USB port

Wi-Fi across all cabins

The first flight departure from Colombo – Paris is on November 5, 2021. Symbolic to new beginnings, Air France will mark this occasion with the lighting of a traditional lamp and a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the airport.

Jean-Noel Rault; General Manager Air France – KLM, Indian Sub-continent stated: “We are thrilled to start operations between Colombo and Paris and offer the best of Air France services and care to our customers while applying strict health and hygiene protocols. The connection of Air

France and Colombo dates back to the 1950’s with the route Paris-Rome-Cairo-Bahrain-Karachi-

Colombo-Bangkok-Saigon, operated by our sister company UTA. 27 years later, we are excited to return to Colombo and display our ambition to

include Sri Lanka in our extensive global network”

Eric Lavertu, Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka and the Maldives says “A wonderful reopening of the connection between Paris and Colombo by a French Airline after many years. No doubt that the city of lights and the pearl of Indian ocean are two cities which need direct and frequent relations. Thank you very much to Air France to give them that opportunity.”

Minster of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga says “The government of Sri Lanka is pleased with the decision taken by Air France to operate direct flights to Sri Lanka after a lapse in services for more than 30 year. This marks a momentous occasion in terms of Sri Lankan tourism and the tourism drive undertaken by the government in a post- COVID landscape. The introduction of direct services between Colombo and Paris will assist with the recovery process of tourism in the country and more importantly act as a conduit connecting Sri Lanka to Paris; one of the most important tourism hubs in the world. The network offering from Air France has the capacity to open up our island nation to the entire globe and we are thankful to the airline for selecting us as a winter destination. This step taken by Air France will no doubt lead towards strengthening the bilateral bond between our two nations and we look forward to working closely with France and with the airline towards enhancing these operations in a manner beneficial for both countries. As a government we would like to pledge all possible support to Air France in carrying out its operations in Sri Lanka.”

Air France’s health commitment recognized with the Skytrax COVID Excellence Award

The health and well-being of Air France customers and staff are at the heart of the company’s concerns. Air France is committed to providing its customers optimum health and hygiene conditions at each stage of their trip, upon arrival at the airport. On board the aircraft and throughout the duration of the trip, it is compulsory to wear a surgical mask. The air in the cabin is renewed every 3 minutes. The air recycling system on board Air France aircraft is equipped with HEPA – High Efficiency Particulate Air – filters, identical to those used in hospital operating rooms. Air France has also reinforced aircraft cleaning procedures, notably with the disinfection of all surfaces in contact with customers such as armrests, tray tables and screens before each flight. Air France’s health commitment was recently recognized by the international rating agency Skytrax, which awarded the airline its COVID Excellence Award at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2021.

Fully modifiable tickets for travel until 31 March 2022.

Customers can modify their reservation free of charge, or request a refundable credit voucher if they no longer wish to travel.

Travel restrictions & heath protocols due COVID-19 Air France flight operations are strictly in compliance with the travel regulations and health, hygiene and quarantine protocols applicable at origin, transit and destination. Before planning travel, Air France recommends its customers to check the applicable travel restrictions and protocols. For a general overview of conditions visit https://airfrance.traveldoc.aero . Days of operation might be subject to change. The latest schedules and fares are available on www.airfrance.in

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Business

HNB Finance strengthens Board with four independent directors

Published

10 hours ago

2026/09/13

Thilina Walpola

Newly appointed HNB FINANCE PLC Independent Non- Executive Directors (from left): Renuke Wijayawardhane, Shanti Gnanapragasam, Nabiha Mohamed and Dr. Thisuri Wanniarachchi

HNB FINANCE PLC has strengthened its Board with the appointment of four Independent Non-Executive Directors, effective September 8, 2026.

The new directors are Renuke Wijayawardhane, Shanti Gnanapragasam, Nabiha Mohamed and Dr. Thisuri Wanniarachchi, who collectively bring extensive experience in financial regulation, banking, risk management, corporate finance, investment strategy, development finance and public policy.

Wijayawardhane, an Attorney-at-Law and capital market professional, retired in July 2025 as Chief Regulatory Officer of the Colombo Stock Exchange after more than 31 years with the Exchange. His experience covers securities regulation, corporate governance, market infrastructure and compliance.

Gnanapragasam has over four decades of banking experience spanning treasury, risk management, credit and trade finance. She currently serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Cargills Bank, Wealth Trust and Vision Fund Lanka.

Mohamed is a corporate finance and investment professional who previously served as Lead Transaction Advisor at the State-Owned Enterprise Restructuring Unit of the Ministry of Finance, where she led five divestiture transactions worth over US$600 million.

Dr. Wanniarachchi brings over a decade of experience in development finance, institutional reform and social protection, including work with the World Bank and the Government of Sri Lanka.

Business

Prime Residencies hands over The Palace Gampaha

Published

10 hours ago

2026/09/13

Thilina Walpola

Prime Group Chairman Premalal Brahmanage speaking at the event

Prime Lands Residencies PLC has completed and officially handed over The Palace Gampaha, described as the largest planned gated residential community in Gampaha, to its homeowners.

The development, which commenced construction in 2021, is located two kilometres from Gampaha town and 100 metres from the Colombo-Kandy main road.

Spread across 13.5 acres, The Palace Gampaha comprises 480 two- and three-bedroom apartments in a ground-plus-three-floor development, with prices starting from Rs. 27.5 million.

The project allocates about 80% of its land to landscaped areas and common facilities, while the remaining 20% is used for apartment development. Facilities include a swimming pool, gymnasium, clubhouse, library, community kitchen, laundry, mini-mart and a daycare centre managed by the Lyceum Group.

The fully gated community also incorporates solar power for common areas, underground electricity cabling and a sewage treatment plant with water recycling facilities.

Prime Residencies said all statutory approvals required for the handover had been secured, including certifications from the Condominium Management Authority and registration of the Condominium Plan and Deed of Declaration.

Prime Group Chairman Premalal Brahmanage said the project reflected the company’s vision of creating large-scale residential communities designed to enhance the quality of life of Sri Lankan families.

The project is the latest addition to Prime Group’s portfolio of more than 70 gated community and apartment developments.

Business

SLANA warns NVOCC business losing ground amid THC concerns

Published

10 hours ago

2026/09/13

Thilina Walpola

SLANA Chairperson Swabha Wickramasinghe presenting a memento to Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka at the eventually

Sri Lanka’s Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) sector is losing ground despite the expansion of the industry in several regional markets, Sri Lanka Association of NVOCC Agents (SLANA) Chairperson Swabha Wickramasinghe said.

Wickramasinghe, re-elected for a third consecutive term at SLANA’s ninth Annual General Meeting last week said the continued difficulty in collecting Colombo Terminal Handling Charges (THC) as a separate land-based cost was among the key challenges facing the industry.

She said the practice placed Sri Lanka at a competitive disadvantage as principals consider the overall economics of operating through Colombo.

“When Sri Lanka becomes less commercially attractive compared with other regional destinations, the consequences eventually reach our members,” she said.

Wickramasinghe said a committee had been proposed at a recent meeting with the Minister and Deputy Minister to evaluate the THC issue, urging the authorities to expedite its appointment and review.

She also called for an early solution to the problem of uncleared salt containers at the Port of Colombo, which has resulted in delays in releasing empty containers.

With more than 75 NVOCC lines operating in Sri Lanka, she stressed the sector’s importance to regional trade, particularly links with India and China.

Ports Minister Anura Karunathilaka said Sri Lanka should expand regional business while exploring areas such as bunkering, freight forwarding and e-commerce logistics.