SriLankan Airlines promises its passengers, "We are changing the way we fly"

Company Brief

New Delhi, February 18, 2010

Sri Lankan Airlines has embarked on an exciting new journey that would give their passengers a richer Taste of the Paradise, they already know and love.

The Airline is introducing a whole new experience on ground and in the air, that promises its passengers a total "Change in the way You fly!"

Beginning the journey with its iconic logo the monara or the peacock, the airline's front line staff from cabin to ground crew will sport a brand new look and a warmer smile.

But the charm, elegance and grace of the peacock will be preserved as the hundreds of beautiful stewardesses at SriLankan Airlines undergo this transformation. Their iconic Kandyan Saree uniform still retains its oriental charm but yet have a distinctive modern appeal and contemporary look. The new colour palette plays with the soft hues of sea blue splashed with the delicate multi-hued motifs of the peacock feather with its shimmering iridescent bursts of electric orange mottled with dark, light blue and white.

While the women and men who take care of every little detail of a passengers' comfort on ground and in flight, will offer a vastly improved level of service, decked in their new uniforms, the airline's onboard kitchen has turned an entirely new chapter in their in flight meal service and offers its passengers a tempting array of mouth watering signature dishes and cocktails never served on board before. And passengers have the added choice of ordering from a new A la carte menu and having their meals literally cooked on board!

While new menus, served by a cabin team with a brand new look is guaranteed to tempt the most discerning passengers' taste buds, a whole new experience in, in flight entertainment also awaits movie buffs.

SriLankan Airlines will continue this journey of new discovery with more comfortable seats on board with more leg space and flat bed seats in the business class. Trimmings and trappings on board, like the seat covers will also change to give a completely new look and feel to the experience of traveling with SriLankan Airlines, which aims to be one of the best in Asia.

Passengers who fly SriLankan Airlines may wonder if they are really airborne or at a gourmet restaurant in one of the world's top gastronomic capitals. The airline's flight kitchen led by a team of chefs from the Hot and Cold Kitchens; Bakery; and Confectionery headed by Production Manager Sudhish Kumar Pande and Executive Chef Anthony Gibson has designed menus to pamper the palate and titillate the taste buds beyond imagination.

Passengers will have an entirely new experience of an intimate, personalised service as the in flight staff wheels a five-star meal to your seat whenever you wish to dine. All boundaries of space and time have been stretched enabling passengers to enjoy a multi-gastronomic experience at their will.

The new menus reflect a truly global feel and flavor. Complementing the wide international array on offer, Sri Lankan dishes have been re-defined and re-invented to encompass a sensational range of aromas and tastes to seduce our thousands of passengers.

The "Preserved Ginger and Cardamom Smoothie", followed by the perennial Sri Lankan favourite – "Suduru Samba braised in Aromatic Mutton and Spice Stock accompanied with Aubergine and Plantain Pahi, dark roasted Chicken Curry and spicy Seeni Sambal' are some the team of chefs' specialties.

The humble ‘Pol Roti' has been redefined and given a new lease of life at 36,000 kms above sea level. It comes in a modern garb..wrap-filled with seeni sambal or devilled chicken (much like an European sausage roll). It is also served Italian style and topped with devilled vegetables, or Curry Pincha Masala Roll.

The desserts are absolutely sinful and yet blissfully divine. Exotic homemade chocolates are centered with kithul treacle, chilli, wood apple and pink Gorka. There's even "Jackfruit Cheese Cake" and "Beetroot and Orange Mousse wrapped in Chocolate".

Complementing the gastronomic excellence of the newly enhanced in-flight menu, Sri Lankan Airlines enriches the experience with the introduction of a delightful range of wines and designer cocktails for passengers both in Business and Economy Class..

The sheer craftsmanship and ingenuity of our in-flight crew has ‘Sri-Lankanised' the cocktail experience with the now acclaimed ‘Coconut Passion Cocktail' – a shot of fresh coconut arrack plunged into passion juice and shaken with coconut water.

Changing the way you fly and in keeping with the Sri Lankan identity, the airline also proudly presents the best of local cinematic creations to diverse audiences around the world. Prasanna Vithanage's internationally award winning movie 'Akasa Kusum' (Flowers of the Sky) is currently being screened on board and has already attracted favourable comments from an international clientele. This has sparked a very positive interest in local cinema among our passengers and exposed our Sri Lanka's directors, actors and actresses to audiences worldwide.

Says SriLankan Airlines CEO Manoj Gunawardena, "We've struggled to stay airborne during the past two years. In the process we didn't deliberately set out to do anything new and revolutionary. In fact we were often thought to have lost focus of our customers. With these wide ranging and sweeping changes we now reassure our thousands of customers that they certainly ARE our focus. We are changing their travel experience in a multi-dimensional manner and stretching the boundaries of hospitality".

"We're striving to reach the next level of customer service by voluntarily asking the globally reputed airline rating organisation Skytrax to conduct a full audit of our customer experience. The audit is in progress and will run for several months, as the Skytrax team travels on board SriLankan flights in all regions, and evaluates every aspect of customer service and our product. I'm proud to say that refurbishment and re-fleeting are on the cards in the near future thus reflecting our vision to achieve a five-star status not in terms of size but quality onboard service", he added.

The gala launch tonight showcases our very own talent from SriLankan Airlines. The scintillating dance performance to the melodious Bhathiya and Santhush, remix of "Sri Lanka You are my Shangrila" is done by our very own SriLankan Dance Troupe and choreographed by Channa Wijewardene. The famous singing duo who are icons of modernity and change but yet use aspects of our culture and aesthetics to move forward epitomise the changes SriLankan is in the process of making, to give their passengers a genuine and authentic change in the way they fly.

Young men and women from our very own in-flight crew proudly parade the catwalk, dazzling in their new uniforms to the haunting Nimal Mendis master-composition "Blue Waters Shining Eyes Sri Lanka Paradise", rekindling the nostalgia of a bygone era where the airline flew under Air Lanka vying with top carriers of the region for the best airline in Asia.

All these elements and more, combine to evoke SriLankan Airlines' time-tested values and re-kindle the messages of warmth and hospitality yet portraying a vibrant airline with a strong modern identity. Indeed … we are changing the way You fly !

For further information, please contact:

LINOpinion -The Lintas Public Relations Division

Rajlaxmi Borkotoky

Mobile: 9892122598