Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) welcomed two new international carriers this week, marking a major boost for Sri Lanka’s southern aviation and tourism sectors ahead of the 2025–2026 winter season.
- Red Wings Airlines, Russia
Red Wings Airlines, one of Russia’s ten largest carriers specializing in scheduled and charter operations, commenced its winter service to Mattala on 28 October 2025. The airline will operate six weekly Boeing 777-200 flights, each with a 412-seat capacity, with one additional flight every ten days.
The inaugural flight for the season arrived at 12.10 p.m. with 402 international tourists and was greeted with a water cannon salute by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited (AASL). Aitken Spence Travel will handle ground operations, while Tropical Aviation Services acts as the General Sales Agent (GSA).
Red Wings has scheduled flights through April 2026, expecting to operate around 130 flights during the winter period.
- Belavia Airlines, Belarus
Belavia – Belarusian Airlines, the national carrier of Belarus, launched direct weekly flights between Minsk and Mattala on the same day. The inaugural A330-200 flight carrying 277 passengers arrived at 1.50 p.m. and was ceremonially received with a water cannon salute and traditional Kandyan dancing.
Flights will operate every Tuesday, with departures from Minsk at 02:10 and arrivals in Mattala at 14:00, and return flights departing at 16:00. The airline has obtained approval to operate until March 2026 and will consider extending operations based on demand.
The launch followed a familiarization visit by a Belavia delegation in August, facilitated by Sri Lanka’s Embassy in Moscow and coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism, and AASL. Far East Air Services (Pvt) Ltd serves as Belavia’s local GSA. (Newswire)