THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: SriLankan Airlines, the foreign carrier with the most number of flights into the country, has plans to increase the frequencies of its flights to three airports of the State and to operate to more airports in the country.

The airline, which operates 13 weekly flights to Thiruvananthapuram, 11 to Kochi and eight weekly flights to Kozhikode at present, has plans to increase the frequencies of the flights from the winter schedule, according to the airline's Sales Manager, Thiruvananthapuram, Asha Subramonian.

The airline has also plans to operate to more airports in the coming months. Mangalore, Coimbatore, Madurai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad are the airports the foreign carrier is looking forward to operate. The airline operates 95 frequencies from Colombo to 10 destinations and offers 10,000 seats now.

Ms. Subramonian said the flights of SriLankan from Thiruvananthapuram have a load factor of 70-75 per cent and the arrival of low-cost carriers had not affected the airline in any way.

The demand for the seats in the flights from Kozhikode to Jeddah has even surprised the airline.

Samantha Nagahawatte, Manager, Kerala, said the airline has incorporated the fuel surcharge into the airfare from April 1.

The airline will implement the change to most destinations with a few exceptions.

According to this, Government and airport taxes would be collected separately. The move to incorporate the fuel surcharge is in line with recommendation of IATA, would enable clarity and simplicity in the airfares.

Ms. Subramonian said the strategic partnership entered by the airline with Kerala Tourism has enabled the SriLankan to bring 500 high-end tourists from France to Kerala since November 2006.

"Our office is marketing the destination in France and the tourists from France are arriving on a one-week tour package." The airline is also marketing Kerala in Germany in a big way through its office, she added.

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