Lanka signs bilateral Air Services Agreement with the Netherlands

Sri Lanka and the Netherlands on Wednesday, 22 February 2023 signed a bilateral Air Services Agreement that will provide a stronger platform to intensify connectivity both between the countries as well as the European and Asian regions.

The instrument inked at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague provides, inter alia, for the designated airlines of both countries to fly between Amsterdam and Katunayake and beyond their respective territories.

While the agreement broadens avenues for leisure and business travel and enhances business interaction, it will also provide a speedier conduit for transfer of cargo. Sri Lanka has been a popular destination among Dutch travelers. Around 11,987 Dutch tourists have travelled to Sri Lanka in 2022, despite the travel restrictions which prevailed during certain periods in the year.

Sri Lanka’s envoy to the Netherlands Ambassador Aruni Ranaraja and Actg. Director General for Civil Aviation at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management H. van Faassen signed the instrument.

The signature of the agreement reflects the mutual desire to further deepen the bilateral relationship. The two countries celebrated 70 years of formal diplomatic relations in 2021.

The agreement signed on 22 February 2023 comes into effect on the first day of the second month following the date of the latter written notification through diplomatic channels, replacing a 1953 instrument.