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Colombo, September 28, 2017: SriLankan Airlines added another feather to its cap by being honoured with a prestigious Four Star Rating by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) in the first ever airline industry rating programme based solely on feedback from passengers.

Captain Suren Ratwatte, CEO of SriLankan Airlines, said: “We are delighted to receive this rating of excellence, which we consider extremely important since it was compiled using passenger feedback. We will continue our efforts to delight our customers and will aim to achieve Five Stars in the next edition of the rating.”

APEX (www.apex.aero) is the world’s only non-profit membership trade association dedicated to improving the entire airline passenger experience

Siva Ramachandra, Chief Commercial Officer of SriLankan, said: “This rating is the culmination of continuous teamwork and innovation by every employee of our airline and demonstrates that SriLankan has the ability to compete with the finest airlines in the sky.”

A total of 470 airlines worldwide were rated, with only 12% of airlines achieving five-star status and 14% reaching four-star status. Using a five-star scale, more than 500,000 flights were rated anonymously by passengers between 24th October 2016 and to 31st July 2017. Passengers rated their overall flight experience and also provided ratings in seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment and Wi-Fi. SriLankan Airlines was placed in the Major Regional Airline category, with the other categories being Global Airlines and Low Cost Carriers.

The awards were presented at a gala ceremony in Long Beach, California on 25^th September during APEX EXPO, a conference attended by more than 4,000 airline industry professionals which showcases airline related technologies, products and services.

SriLankan recently won a host of accolades including "World’s Leading Airline Operating to the Indian Ocean Region" at the World Travel Awards; ‘Best Full Service Airline in Central and South Asia’ for two consecutive years at the Future Travel Experience Asia Awards; ‘Most Innovative Marketing Airline in China’ by Life Weekly magazine; ‘Best Airline in South Asia’ at the Top Travel Awards, also in China; and Best International Airline – Asia for two consecutive years at the Tamil Nadu Tourism Awards.

The airline has been rapidly modernizing its fleet with the addition of brand new wide body A330-300 and narrow body A320neo and A321neo aircraft. Passengers now enjoy a service with comfortable seats, state of the art entertainment systems, excellent in-flight cuisine, on board connectivity (Wi-Fi & GSM) and flight attendants famed for their warmth and caring.

SriLankan’s global network covers 105 cities in 47 countries and as a member of the oneworld global airline alliance it also connects its passengers to oneworld’s worldwide network of more than 1,000 destinations in 160 countries.