Both are sensible moves.

SriLankan Airlines to promote cruise tourism

Nishantha Wickramasinghe, Chairman SriLankan Airlines speaking to Daily News Business at the ATM in Dubai, said that promoting cruise tourism could derive additional revenues.

Mihin Lanka's new In flight entertainment

nice!!!!

Cruise tourism is NOT always a win-win situation ..

90% or more of the tourists who transfer don't want to step out of the plane and get to the cruise ship - no dilly-dallying there .. and that's the experience of one of the large cruise centers in the region ..

Though the numbers will drive up 'arrivals' figure ..

btw, to get cruise pax, I wonder how the Port is geared to handle Cruise ships .. do they have a dedicated Cruise terminal ?

Anyway, I happened to see this .. seems CMB port is busy in it's own way

Cruises To Colombo 2013
Showing 19 cruise(s)

Day of Arrival Ship Cruise Name From / To Prices From

April

Fri 12 Seven Seas Voyager 78 Nights Beijing (Tianjin) to London (Southampton) Tianjin / Southampton
Wed 17 Amadea 144 Tage Weltreise Mit Ms Amadea Hamburg / Villefranche (Nice)

September

Thu 26 Dawn Princess 37 Days Round Europe - Route from Rome Civitavecchia (Rome) / Sydney
46 Days Round Europe - Route from Venice Venice / Sydney
90 Days Round Europe Sydney / Sydney

October

Thu 10 Ocean Princess 38 Days Europe, India & Asia Grand Adventure Dover / Singapore
28 Days Mediterranean, India & Asia Civitavecchia (Rome) / Singapore
48 Days Four Continents Grand Adventure Civitavecchia (Rome) / Sydney

November

Fri 1 SeaDream II 13 Days Mumbai (Bombay) - Singapore Mumbai / Singapore
Thu 28 AIDAaura 14 Nachte Asien Cochin / Laem Chabang (Bangkok)
36 Nachte AIDA Specials Venice / Laem Chabang (Bangkok)

December

Wed 11 ms Europa 2 20 Days Dubai - Singapore (Fascinating India and Mysterious Indochina) Dubai / Singapore
Thu 12 Seven Seas Voyager 40 Nights Istanbul to Singapore - Indian Ocean Adventures Istanbul / Singapore
19 Nights Dubai to Singapore - Indian Ocean Odyssey Dubai / Singapore
35 Nights Dubai to Sydney - Indian Ocean Fantasy Dubai / Sydney
Wed 18 mv Voyager 33 days Grand Voyage across the Erythaean Sea Sharm El Sheikh / Colombo
17 days Tales of India and Arabia Dubai / Colombo
48 days Three Continent Grand Voyager Piraeus (Athens) / Colombo
32 days Grand Voyage around Shores of the Indian Ocean Dubai / Klang (Kuala Lumpur)

Really!!!
Then London and Toronto must be suburbs of Melbourne

colombo port is dedicated to cargo for over a century.....but hambantota is new and can be promoted for cruise ships as it is close to Galle, Hikkaduwa, Mattara, Arugam Bay and Yala

I heard C-GLKB has now been returned to the YTH on 10-12 May 2013, after lease to SriLankan Airtaxi.

well, there are only 2 reasons Cruise passengers would leave the ship - 1) to transfer to a plane or vice-versa, or 2) to visit places of interest "NEARBY" or shopping "NEARBY" .. preferably for a day tour at the most-they get on board the cruise to relax on the ship, not to spend time on land ...

Well, for 2, I don't get the idea Hambantota harbour has shopping malls / places of interest ..

The govt has plans on making hambantota the next big city : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hambantota , so definitely they r gonna make shopping malls....for wild life lovers there is a place of interest within a close proximity, Yala National Park

Airbus A350 -XWB came out of paint hanger today;

Yes Banu; she is back home

Is Airbus A350-900 a suitable aircraft for SriLankan Airlines flight operations ?

its fuel efficient and 15,000km range.......seems perfect for loss makin UL!!!!!

Yes; but the question is if UL can afford them