Bangladesh, Oct. 23 -- SriLankan Airlines is studying new routes to Perth, China, and Africa, as CEO Vipul Misra said the national carrier must lead the way in opening connections that are expected to support Sri Lanka's tourism sector.

Speaking to the media, Misra said a recent tourism roadshow, held jointly with the Tourism Ministry, pointed to strong demand for flights to Perth.

"We see there is a strong demand in Perth. We do see that China needs to restart anyhow. We really need to deploy capacity," he said.

Misra also flagged plans to restore the carrier's long-dormant African connections, noting that extra aircraft would need to be sourced externally to support any such expansion.

He said the national carrier carries a respons...