Canadian airlines in code share to boost market

The national carrier of Asia's fast growing tourism market, Sri Lankan Airlines and Air Canada have announced a code share agreement to boost travel between the two countries, officials said here in a statement on Friday. The new services will enhance Sri Lankan Airlines services by providing an extended service connecting gateway points in Frankfurt, Paris, London and Hong Kong to Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and St. John's in Canada. Canada's flag carrier is the 15th largest commercial airline in the world and serves 31 million customers annually. The travel market between Canada and Sri Lanka has been growing at a double-digit rate and this agreement will allow customers to easily connect at main European gateways of Frankfurt, London and Paris, the statement said. The code share agreement gives both airlines the ability to offer customers connections between Air Canada and Sri Lankan on a single ticket itinerary, checked-through baggage and other benefits that will create a seamless travel experience. "Canada is home to Sri Lanka's largest expatriate community and we greatly value this opportunity to provide a seamless service to our people who live in Canada on Sri Lankan Airlines with our code share partner, Air Canada," said Sri Lankan Airlines Chief Marketing Officer G. T. Jeyaseelan. Sri Lanka hopes to attract over 750,000 tourists in 2011 on a post-war tourism boom that has seen it become a fast growing tourist destination in Asia.