An Emirates A380 aircraft landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) Katunayake last Monday, helping Sri Lanka and the airport achieve an aviation milestone.
Minister of Transport and Aviation, Nimal Siripala de Silva was at the airport to greet the UAE Ambassador to Sri Lanka Abdul Hameed Abdul Fattah Kazhim Al-Mulla, and Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial (West Asia & Indian Ocean) Ahmed Khoory, who were among the VIPs on the flight, the first A380 commercial flight to the country. Country Manager Emirates Chandana de Silva was also present.
Arranged to celebrate the BIA’s recently resurfaced and upgraded runway, the special one-off A380 flight operated as EK654 from Dubai, replacing the B777 aircraft, usually deployed by Emirates on flights to Sri Lanka. The iconic aircraft was on ground for more than six hours to enable airport executives, VIPs, trade partners and media to enjoy guided static tours of its cabins and unique amenities like the First Class Suites, Shower Spas and the On-board lounge.
(Pix: Vipula Amarasinghe)