Sri Lankan Airlines commenced thrice-weekly services between Colombo and Beijing on Wednesday, providing new opportunities for business and leisure travelers between the two Asian countries.

Among the passengers traveling by the inaugural flight to Beijing from Colombo were Sri Lankan Ports and Aviation Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Industry, Tourism and Investment Promotion Minister Anura Bandaranaike.

The flights on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday will operate from Colombo to Beijing via Bangkok, the airlines said Wednesday in a press release.

Sri Lankan Airlines will be initially focusing on the huge family travel and leisure market from China to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, as well as providing the Chinese traveler with connections to the Middle East and Europe.

An important aspect of the launch of flights to China was the signing of interline agreements with four Chinese airlines -- Air China, China Eastern, China Southern and Dragon Air.

Sri Lanka hopes that the launch of services to Beijing will now add a modern cultural dialog to the strong diplomatic and trade relations the two countries already enjoy.

With the launch of the Beijing service, Sri Lankan Airlines, which has been expanding rapidly over the last two years, will fly to 49 destinations in 27 countries.

Sri Lankan Airlines is the national carrier of Sri Lanka, an island nation off the coast of southern India, strategically situated in the Indian Ocean with easy access to various points in Asia, Europe and Australia.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2005)