Singapore Airlines General Manager in Sri Lanka C. H. Chia last week said that he was quite optimistic that the situation in Sri Lanka would lead to a conducive environment for the airline to bring an increased volume of inbound passengers to Sri Lanka.

Such a climate would augur well for the tourism industry in the country and herald a new phase in the country’s tourism, he said.

Addressing the media, he said "the war in the country has now come to an end and Singapore airlines would now go ahead with its promotional campaigns where Sri Lanka was concerned.

"Once peace dawns in Sri Lanka, which is not too distant, the airline would line up a series of promotions where Sri Lanka was concerned," Chia said.

When The Island queried as to what he thought about the situation in Sri Lanka in early January, Chia said "Iam cautiously optimistic that the situation in Sri Lanka would improve and create a conducive environment for an increased flow of inbound traffic."

Sri Lanka government has been able to bring the long drawn war to an end and offer a glimmer of hope to the airline industry at large, he said.

"Indications are that inbound traffic to Sri Lanka would pick up tremendously if the situation further improved," Chia pointed out.

When queried as to how the airline copes up with the current global economic meltdown, he said the airline has made certain adjustments and reduced frequencies on unprofitable sectors, but was optimistic the airline was capable of facing the challenges ahead.