SriLankan Airlines to operate special cargo flights from May 18

COLOMBO (News1st): SriLankan Airlines has said it will operate special cargo flights from May 18 to assist the country's export industry which is reeling due to the impact of the coronavirus. The national air carrier, in a statement, said 27 dedicated cargo flights will operate from Colombo to Europe, the Middle East, Indian, and the Far East regions. "These dedicated cargo flights will be a vital link for local exporters to take their produce to new and existing international markets and will also enable the importation of much needed raw materials," SriLankan Airlines said. The move supersedes the government's decision to relax the import restrictions it imposed in April, for the importation of raw materials to assist manufacturers and exporters. Sri Lanka's export development board has predicted that the country would lose 7 billion dollars in export revenue, revising its annual target to 10.75 billion dollars. "SriLankan has enhanced the cargo-carrying capacity of the aircraft beyond the usual capacity the cargo holds," the statement read. It added that it would deploy its A320 and A330 aircraft to operate the dedicated cargo flights. "We have no doubt that every single export industry will benefit from this bold initiative," Ashok Pathirage, the Chairman of SriLankan Airlines said in the statement.