As part of oneworld, SriLankan will be able to offer all of its customers seamless connections across a global network serving almost 1,000 destinations in more than 150 countries, with first rate connections between the world’s leading business centres.

SriLankan is already participating in Global Explorer, the round-the-world fare offered by all oneworld members and various airlines that are not part of the alliance. From midnight tonight, its network will be covered by oneworld’s full range of alliance fares – the most extensive offered by any of the global alliances, including the market-leading oneworld Explorer round-the-world fare.

From tomorrow, this range of alliance fares will be further extended with the addition of a new Visit South Asian Sub-Continent pass, marking SriLankan’s addition to oneworld, and offering great value flights in the region in conjunction with an international sector there. For full details, see separate press release.

Special frequent flyer miles offers to celebrate

To celebrate SriLankan’s addition to oneworld, all FlySmiLes cardholders will receive double their usual FlySmiLes miles when flying on most oneworld partners between 15 May 2014 and 30 June. Members of most established member airlines’ loyalty programmes will receive double the normal mileage awards/points when flying on SriLankan during the same period. For further details, exceptions and requirements, see separate news release and individual airlines’ frequent flyer websites.

SriLankan seals code-share agreements with two more oneworld partners – Finnair and S7

On the eve of its entry into oneworld, SriLankan today concluded code-share agreements with two more oneworld members – Finnair and Russia’s S7 Airlines.

It already has code-sharing in place with oneworld’s Malaysia Airlines and code-share discussions with other oneworld partners are at an advanced stage.

Code-sharing is a wide-spread airline industry practice whereby the marketing code of one airline is placed on a flight operated by another carrier. This has the effect of expanding the network offered by the marketing carrier without having to operate the flights itself, thereby enabling it to earn more revenue, while at the same time offering more choice to customers and making connections for them between the two airline partners’ networks even more seamless.

SriLankan and S7 agreed to code-share last year, pending regulatory approvals – which have now just been granted. From 15 May, S7’s designator will be added to flights operated by SriLankan between their Colombo and Moscow Domodedovo hubs, and also Colombo and Bangkok. At the same time, SriLankan’s UL prefix will be placed on services operated by the Russian airline between its own Moscow Domodedovo base and Chelyabinsk, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, St Petersburg, Volgograd and Yekaterinburg, effectively adding six key cities in Russia to SriLankan’s network. These code-share flights open for sale tomorrow (1 May).

From 2 June, Finnair will add its AY code to flights operated by SriLankan between the latter’s Colombo base and Bangkok, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London Heathrow, Paris CDG and Rome, while SriLankan’s UL designator will be placed on connecting services flown by Finnair between the latter’s Helsinki hub and Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Paris CDG and Rome and also between Helsinki and Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm.

SriLankan Airbus A330 in oneworld livery unveiled, launching massive marketing drive

SriLankan’s addition to oneworld is being celebrated today at a ceremony in the presence of key Ministers from Sri Lanka’s government at South Asia’s newest international airport, Hambantota’s Mattala Rajapaksa International, which serves the country’s South and East Coasts and Hambantota’s sea port.

Hosted by SriLankan Chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe and Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena, the event was attended by senior executives from across oneworld, including:

 oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby.

 Representing Cathay Pacific Airways, which has served as SriLankan’s sponsor into oneworld, its Chief Operating Officer Rupert Hogg.

 airberlin Vice-President Alliance Development Jörg Schwingeler.

 American Airlines’ Senior Vice-President Alliances and Partnerships Kurt Stache.

 British Airways’ Director of Strategy and Business Units Lynne Embleton.

 Finnair’s Regional Manager South Asia Desmond Chacko.

 International Airlines Group (parent of British Airways and Iberia) Strategy Director Robert Boyle.

 Iberia’s oneworld Director Fernando Varela.

 Japan Airlines’ Executive Officer for International Relations and Alliances Hideki Oshima.

 LATAM Airlines Group (representing LAN Airlines and TAM Airlines) Managing Director Asia Pacific Patricio Aylwin.

 Malaysia Airlines’ Commercial Director Hugh Dunleavy.

 Qantas Regional General Manager South Asia, Middle East and Africa Rohan Garnett.

 Qatar Airways’ Chief Planning Officer Richard Roberts.

 Royal Jordanian’s Vice-President Planning and Alliances Basma Majali.

 S7 Group Deputy CEO Strategy Vadim Besperstov.

In front of scores of media from around the world, Senior Minister Hon. Dr Sarath Amunugama, unveiled the first SriLankan aircraft to be decorated in a special oneworld livery – an Airbus A330, which will act as a giant flying billboard to publicise the airline’s induction to the alliance.

Meantime, oneworld logos will be applied to each of the 21 aircraft in the airline’s fleet from tonight, and at the airline’s facilities at airports and downtown city locations worldwide, signaling that SriLankan is now part of the group.

SriLankan’s oneworld implementation programme has represented one of the most extensive projects in the airline’s history, with working groups covering some 20 streams of activity.

Completing the biggest expansion programme yet for the world’s highest rated alliance

SriLankan’s induction into oneworld marks the completion of the alliance’s biggest expansion programme since its launch 15 years ago. In just two years, the group has added more than 15 airlines as full or affiliate members, including:

 TAM Airlines, the leading airline in Latin America’s leading economy Brazil, which joined on 31 March 2014 alongside its partner in LATAM Airlines Group, long-time oneworld member LAN Airlines, consolidating oneworld’s position as the continent’s top alliance.

 US Airways, which also transitioned to oneworld on 31 March 2014, following its merger with American Airlines, which created the world’s largest airline on most scores and makes oneworld the leading alliance in the USA, the world’s biggest single air travel market.

 Qatar Airways, which joined on 30 October 2013 as the first of the Big Three Gulf carriers to join any global airline group, making oneworld the leading alliance in the Middle East, another of the world’s fastest growing regions for air travel demand.

 Malaysia Airlines, one of South East Asia’s top carriers, which joined on 1 February 2013.

 airberlin, the second biggest airline in Europe’s largest economy, Germany, and one of the continent’s biggest carriers, which boarded in March 2012.

 Key affiliate members, such as LAN Colombia, US Airways Express, Iberia Express, Austria’s Niki and transatlantic carrier OpenSkies.

This has made oneworld the world’s fastest growing airline alliance:

 Adding more than 250 destinations, expanding its network by 36 per cent.

 Increasing its daily departures by more than 6,000, a 76 per cent increase.

 Lifting its annual passenger carryings by more than 215 million, a 74 per cent rise.

 Expanding the annual capacity offered by the alliance by 56 per cent and its combined fleet by 50 per cent.

 Generating an additional US$ 40 million revenues, a 40 per cent increase.

 Adding 5 points to its share of revenues between the world’s Top 100 business cities, which is now at 26 per cent.

Meantime, oneworld has consolidated its position also as the most highly rated global alliance, as the current holder of an unprecedented eight of the industry’s leading international “best alliance” awards worldwide.

What the CEOs say

oneworld Governing Board CEO Bruce Ashby said: “The addition of SriLankan Airlines concludes what has been the biggest and fastest growth programme by any global airline alliance, enabling oneworld to consolidate its position as the first choice global alliance for frequent international travelers the world over. In SriLankan, we are delighted to be adding another high quality, fast expanding carrier to the world’s fastest growing and most highly rated global airline alliance.”

Cathay Pacific Chief Operating Officer Rupert Hogg added: “Cathay Pacific has been very pleased to serve as SriLankan’s sponsor into oneworld, supporting and mentoring it through its alliance implementation programme. We wish SriLankan, its customers and employees a warm welcome on board.”

SriLankan Airlines’ Chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe said: “With the world airline industry increasingly focused on alliances, joining oneworld is one of the most significant developments to date for SriLankan Airlines. Joining the alliance will help put SriLankan more firmly on the global aviation map and vastly improve Sri Lanka’s connectivity with the rest of the world, which is vital for our country’s trade and tourism.”

SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena added: “As an airline highly focused on quality service, we are extremely proud to be lining up to become part of the highest quality alliance with the best airline partners offering a global network that best complements our own. We look forward to offering all the many benefits of oneworld to our customers from the start of business tomorrow.”