SriLankan Airlines Cargo eyes regional leadership amid expansion and rising standards

SriLankan Airlines is positioning itself as a leading regional air cargo hub with bold expansion plans, enhanced capacity and a renewed emphasis on safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

- By Irham Nizam

Senior officials of the airline shared their vision during a familiarisation visit organised for journalists at the Bandaranaike International Airport's (BIA) cargo facilities this week.

Explaining the airline’s strategy, Chaminda Perera, Head of Cargo at SriLankan Airlines, said that Colombo is uniquely placed to become the “logical gateway to Asia,” connecting air and sea trade routes while leveraging Sri Lanka’s location within global supply chains.

“What does it mean to be the logical gateway to Asia, he asked. “It means that we are on the same route as the Belt and Road, not only in terms of air freight, but connecting the dots of all modes of transport. Being an island nation, we are at the heart of East-West connectivity, both by sea and air. This provides tremendous growth potential.”

Highlighting India’s economic boom, Perera said: “India is very big around us, with GDP growth of 8%. For us, even the crumbs falling out of India are enough to build a strong trading hub. Like Singapore or Dubai, we too can aspire to be a global hub.”