Peter Hill urges SriLankan Airlines to revive ‘Indian Ocean hub’ strategy with Africa focus

Dhaka: Former SriLankan Airlines CEO Peter Hill has called on the national carrier to revive its once-successful ambition of becoming the “hub of the Indian Ocean,” this time with a strategic emphasis on expanding into Africa.

Speaking at the International Tourism Leaders Summit 2025 in Colombo, Hill encouraged the airline to move beyond traditional markets and adopt a multi-layered growth plan to tap into new regions.

Instead of launching potentially costly direct flights, Hill proposed an “island-hopping” model, connecting African destinations through key Indian Ocean stopovers. He said this approach would allow SriLankan to serve multiple markets while positioning Colombo as a key transit hub linking Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Recalling his tenure as CEO, Hill pointed to the airline’s past success in India as proof of concept. Under his leadership, SriLankan expanded to 100 weekly flights across 10 Indian cities, becoming the largest foreign carrier in that market. “If we could achieve that in India, we can replicate it in other diverse regions,” he said.

Hill emphasized that reviving this network strategy could help strengthen Sri Lanka’s aviation, tourism, and economic growth, positioning the airline as a regional connector rather than a point-to-point operator.

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