The launch of the new AirAsia daily direct flight from Colombo to Kuala Lumpur was held recently. AirAsia was voted Skytrax ‘World’s Best Low-Cost Airline’ in 2009. Since its foundation the airline has expanded and now has 130 routes to numerous destinations across the globe.

‘The joyous and colourful event’ was attended by a number of high profile persons including Dato’ Sri Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia, Bernard Goonetilleke, Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and Rosli Ismail, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Sri Lanka to name but a few.

As Fernandes stated there is a wide cross section of passengers on the flights. With their new flight route AirAsia will bring people from around the world to Colombo, many of whom are Sri Lankan’s who are coming back to Sri Lanka after years of absence. For the time being the company will have one daily flight to Kuala Lumpur leaving Colombo at 6.30am; however the airline is hoping to add several more daily flights to their schedule in the near future.

Despite the global downturn AirAsia has made the bold and innovative move in opening this new route. "Colombo has long been on our network radar and we are proud to liberalize the market to the world" stated Fernandes. After the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka this desire could finally be realised and carried out with relative ease.