SriLankan Airlines will commence direct flights between Beijing, Shanghai and Sri Lanka this week after years of preparations, the airline announced. The direct flights will allow passengers to fly directly to Sri Lanka from Beijing and Shanghai. Those heading for the Maldives will reach their destination with just one stop at either of the international airports in Sri Lanka. SriLankan Airlines previously flew to China via Bangkok, with tourists heading for the Maldives filling many seats. "We are excited about the direct services between Sri Lanka and China as this fortifies the future plans of SriLankan's expansion into China, which is one of our key markets. We are looking at increasing the number of destinations as well as frequencies to more cities in China in the near future," said Kapila Chandrasena, Chief Executive Officer of the airline. An Airbus A330-200 will fly Colombo-Beijing on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and Colombo-Shanghai on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.