British Airways Announces New Flights to Sri Lanka from London Gatwick

HARMONDSWORTH, England, August 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

British Airways is launching a new route to Sri Lanka from London Gatwick next year.

The three-times-a-week service to the capital city Colombo will start on March 31, 2013 and will be operated by a Boeing 777 with three cabins including Club World with fully flat beds.

Flights, which are now on sale, will operate via Male in the Maldives with a flying time of just over 12 and a half hours.

Silla Maizey, British Airways managing director Gatwick, said: "This is such an exciting new route for us. The UK has the second largest number of tourists visiting the island after India so it's a fantastic opportunity for them to fly there with British Airways from Gatwick.

"Sri Lanka has so much to offer visitors from beach, spa or adventure holidays, to cultural,

wildlife and nature breaks."

The island, which is famed for its stunning white beaches and warm and friendly locals, is going through somewhat of a revival among leisure travelers. Away from the beaches, there are numerous highlights to discover, including the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy which is said to house the sacred tooth relic of Buddha and the impressive ancient rock fortress in Sigiriya (Lion's Rock).

For travelers who like to indulge in a more active holiday, there are great hiking trails through its Hill Country region, white water rafting, and many world class dive sites and surfing spots.

British Airways offer a range of hotels from budget three star properties to five star luxury boutique hotels which can be booked together with flights. The four star Eden Resort & Spa in Beruwala on the south west coast lies on a stretch of golden sands on Beruwala beach and has its own Ayurveda spa. The five star boutique hotel, The Fortress, in Galle is a luxurious base to explore the ancient fort in the Dutch colonial city.

Customers flying to Colombo will travel through British Airways' dedicated check-in area at Gatwick North Terminal, where new technology allows them to check-in faster and enjoy more time relaxing before their flight.

Visit ba.com/srilanka for more details.

About British Airways:

British Airways plc offers a wide range of worldwide destinations, including holidays in Antigua, holidays in Mauritius and holidays in Glasgow.Customers can save time and money with ba.com when booking ATOL protected holiday packages, ATOL number is 5985. Passengers are offered added peace of mind to their holiday plans and the security of travelling with British Airways. British Airways plc constantly seeks to exceed customers' expectations, both in terms of the value for money and quality of the service provided.

Press Contact:

Susan Redmond

Waterside

PO Box 365

Harmondsworth

Middlesex

UB7 0GB

02087385100

http://www.ba.com

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