Srilankan Airlines is to begin cargo operations to support the struggling export industry, from 18 May. Accordingly, SriLankan Cargo services are to operate 27 flights out of Colombo that will connect Sri Lanka with key markets in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Australia. “We have no doubt that every single export industry will benefit from this bold initiative that we plan to launch on 18 May, at a time when most other airlines are keeping their fleets grounded and global trade by air is under a lockdown situation. “The Government is extremely keen on restarting the country’s export industries at the earliest possible moment, and we at SriLankan Airlines have been intent on restarting our services from the day that we reluctantly suspended regular operations in the face of the global pandemic,” SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ashok Pathirage said. The destinations SriLankan Cargo would operate to include London and Frankfurt in Europe; Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou (Canton) in China; Melbourne in Australia; Singapore and Tokyo (Narita) in the Far East; Doha and Dubai in the Middle East; and in South Asia, Maldivian capital Male, Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, as well as several cities in India. SriLankan Airlines’ fleet of Airbus A320 and A330 aircraft have been specially modified to enhance its cargo capacity, and would be utilised for this purpose. This initiative is aimed at revitalising the export industry which had been severely hit by the Covid-19 outbreak.