BEIJING, Oct. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Air China will start a Beijing-Colombo service on October 27, 2015. The service will give passengers easy access to the island gem in the Indian Ocean.

Colombo is Sri Lanka’s capital and political, economic, cultural and transportation center. Taking a leisurely stroll through the streets of the South Asian coastal city imbued with exotic charms is truly a rewarding experience – flowers are in bloom, coconut trees sway gently in the breeze, fishermen are on stilts, sandy beaches extend, Buddhist pagodas and temples are dotted around, kind and friendly locals make you feel welcome, and aromas of spices waft into the nostrils. Hop onto a century-old train for the world’s most beautiful train ride through green tea hills and along the blue sea; onboard, sip on a cup of fragrant Ceylon red tea and take in the breathtaking views along the way, and you will feel you are in a fairytale world.

Currently, China has become Sri Lanka’s second largest trading partner and source of imports as well as its fastest growing source of travelers. Statistics released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau suggest that about 12,000 Chinese travelers visited Sri Lanka in May, up 71.9% year on year. The forthcoming Beijing-Colombo service will open up more travel opportunities for business and leisure travelers from the northern and northeastern parts of China.

Friendship and trading between China and Sri Lanka have been taking place for centuries. Zhe He, the Ming dynasty’s legendary sea navigator, paid repeated visits to Sri Lanka on his epic seafaring voyages to the seas in the west. Now, Sri Lanka is an important part of the “21st Century Silk Road on the Sea” on the Indian Ocean.

The timely opening of the Beijing-Colombo service will become an air bridge linking the two nations and contributing to their development in the fields of economy, trading, investment and tourism. Meanwhile, the new route is also one of Air China’s most important moves in 2015 to cement its global presence with its hub in Beijing and expand its route network serving South and Southeast Asia.

The carrier will also start other new routes to destinations in the Asia Pacific region including Beijing-Mumbai, Beijing-Islamabad-Karachi and Beijing-Kuala Lumpur. These new routes will bring the number of destinations in the Asia Pacific region that the carrier serves up to 19, offering more travel options and benefits to business and leisure passengers traveling between Beijing and other cities in the Asia Pacific region.

About the flights

The flights, CA873/4, are operated three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The outbound flight departs from Beijing at 13:30 Beijing time and arrives in Colombo at 19:10 local time. The return flight departs from Colombo at 21:10 local time and arrives in Beijing at 07:00 the following day. The flights are to be operated with Airbus 330-300 aircraft. Its Business Class seats can turn into full-flat beds and its Premium Economy Class seats offer 120% of the legroom of the Standard Economy Class seats. The ergonomically designed standard Economy Class seats make travel more pleasant. All classes of service offer personal AVOD, keeping passengers entertained for the duration of the flight.