Hyderabad, Sep 3 : GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) Today recommenced the direct flight service from Hyderabad to Colombo.

After a gap of nearly one year and seven months, Sri Lankan Airlines resumed the service from Hyderabad, a release here said.

The aircraft took off at 0955 hours with 120 passengers from Hyderabad to Colombo amidst much fanfare at the Airport.

Senior officials from GMR Hyderabad International Airport and Sri Lankan Airlines, along with other airport stakeholders graced the occasion,

The Sri Lankan flights will operate between GMR Hyderabad International Airport and Colombo twice a week – Monday and Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, GHIAL CEO Pradeep Panicker said, “Sri Lanka is one of the highly sought-after tourist destinations among Indian travelers of all ages. This nonstop route connecting Hyderabad and Colombo will bring travelers from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh closer to many beautiful destinations across Sri Lanka.

We are delighted that Sri Lankan Airlines has extended its services to Hyderabad. We are hopeful that the new flight will receive tremendous acceptance from the people of South India.

GMR Hyderabad International Airport continues to explore new international routes and we look forward to connecting many more exciting destinations soon”, he said.

Mr V Ravindran, Regional Manager, India, Bangladesh and Nepal, Sri Lankan Airlines, said, “Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are key markets for Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan Airlines is looking forward to further expansion in terms of frequencies or capacity out of Telangana when passenger demand is expected to grow.”(UNI)