Red Wings Airlines, a Russian regional leisure airline, launched direct flights to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) on December 29.
This was also the first time after two years that an international airline touchdown at MRIA. This is also the first time Red Wings are flying to Sri Lanka.
Red Wings Airlines flew nearly 400 holiday makers on board a Boeing 777, a long-range wide-body aircraft that landed for the first time at the southern airport for this year. The airline will be operating two flights per week for four months from Moscow to Sri Lanka till end April 2023.
For passengers on the inaugural flight, Aitken Spence Travels are offering excursions to showcase the splendour of Sri Lanka.
Minister of Tourism, Harin Fernando said that he was delighted to welcome Red Wings Airlines to the Mattala Airport. “The Boeing 777 landed on Thursday with over 350 passengers from Moscow. They will operate two flights a week to Mattala.”
He said that a few more airlines are also due to operate to Mattala in the coming weeks.
Former Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunge played a key role in bringing this flight to Sri Lanka.