Aug 15, London: The flag carrier of the United Kingdom, British Airways is to resume flights to Sri Lanka from Gatwick Airport early next year.

After a 15-year absence, the carrier will start flights from Gatwick airport in London to Sri Lanka's Colombo international Airport in Katunayake via Male in the Maldives.

The service will run three times a week on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday beginning from March 31, 2013.

BA last operated the Colombo-London service in 1998 and suspended the service due to the security situation at the time in Sri Lanka.

The flights will be on a Boeing 777 with three cabins including its Club World business class service with fully flat beds. Tickets will go on sale from August 16.

BA's managing director for Gatwick Silla Maizey has said that UK has the second largest number of tourists visiting the island after India.

"This is such an exciting new route for us," she has said.

The airline is also offering complete holiday packages in several locations in Sri Lanka for travel between the 1st May and 30th June, 2013.