News
Emirates to introduce additional flights to/from Colombo
Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, will operate an additional scheduled service between Colombo and Dubai, starting from 2 January 2025.
The company issued the following statement on Dec. 31, 2024:
“The newly-introduced flight, to operate as EK654/655, increases the seat capacity on the route by 30 percent and supports Sri Lanka’s plans to considerably increase tourist arrivals in 2025.
The additional service will operate six times a week until 31 March 2025. EK654 will depart Dubai International Airport (DXB) at 10:05hrs (every day, except Wednesdays) arriving at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake, at 16:00hrs (all times are local). The return flight, EK655 will depart BIA at 22:05hrs and reach DXB at 01:05hrs (the following day). From 1 April 2025, a seventh weekly flight on Wednesdays will operate with an adjusted departure time of 22:05hrs, arriving in DXB at 00:55hrs while the return flight from will depart Dubai at 13:20hrs and arrive in Colombo at 19:15hrs.
The additional flight can accommodate up to 360 passengers, with eight suites in First Class, 42 Business Class and 310 Economy Class seats, offering a premium customer experience while enhancing convenience and choice with an expanded flight schedule. Emirates currently operates two direct fights between Colombo and Dubai and a third daily service via Male.
“These are exciting times for Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, which is looking at significant growth between 2025 and 2030,” said Rashid Al Ardha, Emirates’ Country Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives. “As an airline that has played an integral role in the country’s tourism industry for nearly 39 years, Emirates is committed to support the industry’s growth aspirations, and this additional flight is one example of how we plan to contribute to the nation’s tourism goals.”
“By providing additional flights with convenient timings, we plan to enhance connectivity for passengers when travelling to and from significant feeder markets within our network,” continued Rashid.
Emirates and Sri Lanka Tourism share a long-standing strategic partnership, collaborating on initiatives and programmes designed to boost tourism to Sri Lanka by showcasing the destination to customers across its global network. Sri Lanka Tourism recently announced its vision to appeal to eco-conscious travellers by highlighting the island’s rich natural and cultural resources. Furthermore, with the boost in capacity on the Colombo-Dubai route, Emirates will contribute to achieving the country’s tourism targets of attracting three million visitors by 2025.
Emirates began operations to Sri Lanka in April 1986 and has consistently supported the country’s tourism and export industries with passenger and cargo services. The award-winning airline has carried more than 12 million passengers to and from Colombo since operations began. With the four daily flights, the airline will offer more than 2,800 seats daily on the service operating between Colombo and Dubai (both directions) with the capacity to carry up to 160 tonnes of cargo on the same flights.”
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 22 Feb 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended twelve (12) Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, in the sea area south of Mannar.
The seized boat and the Indian fishermen were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Dikovita for onward legal proceedings.
FSL assures legal backing for them
Families of those sentenced to death by the Three-member Gampaha High Trial-at-Bar, over the killing of SLPP MP Amarakeerthi Atukorale, and his police bodyguard, met a senior official of the Presidential Secretariat, yesterday (23), to seek backing for their move to appeal against the verdict.
Having made representations, they addressed the media, outside the Presidential Secretariat, where they declared their intention to move the higher court against the decision.
The SLPP MP and his security officer were killed by an Aragalaya mob on 09 May, 2022, at Nittambuwa. The same day Aragalaya mobs unleashed violence against the then government MPs across the country, torching dozens of their properties.
The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) yesterday said that they would help the families of those sentenced to death to move court against the Gampaha High Court Trial-at-Bar decision. Responding to The Island queries, FSP spokesman Pubudu Jayagoda said that their representatives had already met the families and necessary work was being done to move the Supreme Court. Twenty three persons were acquitted and four handed six-month prison terms, suspended for five years
Jayagoda said that one of the HC judges differed in the ruling. Asked whether they received backing from any other political party and groups that had been involved in the 2022 protest campaign to defend those who had been found guilty, Jayagoda said such support was lacking.
The JVP/NPP played a significant role in the violent protest campaign that forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down. Pointing out that the Attorney General, too, was appealing against the court decision on the basis that the number of persons sentenced to death should be much higher, Jayagoda said that the Nittambuwa incident couldn’t be examined in isolation without taking into consideration the SLPP goon attack on Galle Face protesters on 09 May, 2022. (SF)
Offshore Patrol Vessel P 628 of the Sri Lanka Navy departed Baltimore, USA, for Colombo, on 20 February.
The ex-United States Coast Guard Cutter, USCGC Decisive was officially handed over to the SLN on 02 December, 2025, as the latest addition to the SLN fleet, under the Pennant Number P 628.
Measuring 64 metres in length, this ‘B-Type Reliance Class 210-foot Cutter’ is equipped with advanced technological systems and facilities, capable of conducting extensive surveillance operations spanning up to 6,000 nautical miles per patrol.
The vessel’s voyage to Colombo is historic, possibly marking the longest-ever passage undertaken by a Sri Lanka Navy ship. Covering approximately 14,775 nautical miles, the journey will see the P 628 navigate from Baltimore through the Atlantic Ocean, the Panama Canal (a first for a Sri Lankan naval vessel), the Pacific Ocean, and into the Indian Ocean, via the Straits of Malacca. The ship is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka during the first week of May, 2026.
Navy seize an Indian fishing boat poaching in Mannar seas
Fair weather will prevail except for showers in the Southern province and in Rathnapura, Monaragala and Kaluthara districts after 2.00 p.m
Families of those sentenced to death for killing MP Atukorale seek AKD’s intervention
OPV leaves Baltimore, expected in Colombo in May
Unions sound alarm over coal procurement and power sector restructuring
MAS Group moving to India: CP asks NPP govt. to act
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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