Announcement

**banuthev** · 20-03-2013, 10:50 PM

@CalgaryLankan - Goodnews! Turkish Airlines to offer additional flights to Colombo in High Season (Winter 2013 to Summer 2014).

Infact FlyDubai will operate a round-robin route as FZ551 to HRI via CMB and FZ552 is nonstop on HRI-DXB. But Air Arabia currently operating nonstop flights between SHJ and HRI, twise a week basis. It will be interesting to see what the PLF going to be on HRI flights in coming months. Btw, Sri Lanka should promote HRI as a leisure destination for tourists who visits Southern Sri Lanka (Kumana Bird Sanctuary, Yala National Park, Arugam Bay for Surfing etc ..)

SLTB has launched a luxury bus service between Colombo Fort and HRI. Five buses every day. Buses starting from 5am until 21pm. Luxury Fare Rs 1,175 while semi-luxury for Rs 960, According to Daily news.

@newsflasher - Perhaps FlyDubai routed to HRI via CMB for the in inauguration ceremony. We are very thankful to Air Arabia and FlyDubai for coming forward to serve HRI. Any idea if Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Air Asia .. interested in operating to HRI ?

**Max** · 21-03-2013, 05:23 AM

Jet Airways may replace Kingfisher Sri Lanka services

Jet Airways seeks more overseas routes from aviation ministry

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/jet-airways-seeks-more-overseas-routes-from-aviation-ministry/articleshow/19094226.cms

Naresh Goyal, promoter of Jet Airways on Wednesday approached the aviation ministry to seek more international routes for his airline.

**Max** · 21-03-2013, 05:30 AM

Virgin Australia applies for seats to Sri Lanka

Virgin Australia has applied for an allocation of 400 seats per week beyond Singapore to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

In the application to the International Air Services Commission (IASC), the airline said flights would be serviced alongside airline partner Singapore Airlines and would be allocated for a period of five years from the date of the determination.

Virgin Australia is hoping to allocation will be fully utilised from 26 October this year.

Travel Blackboard: Australia's Number One Industry Newsletter

http://www.etravelblackboard.com/article/141393/virgin-australia-applies-for-seats-to-colombo

Travel Blackboard: Australia's Number One Industry Newsletter

**Max** · 21-03-2013, 06:00 AM

Welcome to Colombo - Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia is Australia's second-largest airline, Now based in Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

**Srilankan1** · 21-03-2013, 07:51 AM

Originally posted by Max View Post

Virgin Australia applies for seats to Sri Lanka

Virgin Australia has applied for an allocation of 400 seats per week beyond Singapore to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

In the application to the International Air Services Commission (IASC), the airline said flights would be serviced alongside airline partner Singapore Airlines and would be allocated for a period of five years from the date of the determination.

Virgin Australia is hoping to allocation will be fully utilised from 26 October this year.

Travel Blackboard: Australia's Number One Industry Newsletter

http://www.etravelblackboard.com/article/141393/virgin-australia-applies-for-seats-to-colombo

Travel Blackboard: Australia's Number One Industry Newsletter

This is Top News.

Glad to see more and more Airlines has interest come to Sri lanka using Bandaranaike International Airport.

**lordvader** · 21-03-2013, 12:14 PM

Originally posted by Srilankan1 View Post

This is Top News.

Glad to see more and more Airlines has interest come to Sri lanka using Bandaranaike International Airport.

Good news although Im pretty sure theyre just codesharing on SQ's services (so VA wont fly its own metal to CMB). Correct if wrong!

**slaviator** · 21-03-2013, 01:16 PM

Originally posted by lordvader View Post

Good news although Im pretty sure theyre just codesharing on SQ's services (so VA wont fly its own metal to CMB). Correct if wrong!

Yahh that would be it, 400 seats a week entails to around 55-60 seats daily....

it's good that VA is codesharing with SQ on the flight...lot of good fares that way and good connectivity...plus its an official alliance targeting Colombo not the add-hoc UL+QF combo

**CalgaryLankan** · 21-03-2013, 03:15 PM

Flightaware is identifying HRI as KHRI - a small airport (Hermiston Municipal) in Oregan, US and showing UL heavies out to BKK / CMB etc. I already submitted ticket to them.

HRI Hermiston Muni Airport (HRI/KHRI) - FlightAware

http://flightaware.com/live/airport/KHRI

Hermiston Muni, Hermiston, OR (HRI/KHRI) flight tracking (arrivals, departures, en route, and scheduled flights) and airport status.

**4R-SRD** · 23-03-2013, 02:48 PM

Originally posted by CalgaryLankan View Post

Turkish seems to be doing good on the route and will be a daily operation from Nov onwards. (Source - Airlineroute.net)

http://airlineroute.net/2013/03/20/tk-w13update1/

woow. I'm very happy to hear this news. and hope they will be sucess in IST-CMB route. We are increasing our sales from Italy since Tk fly from 7 Apts in Italu (GOA/TRN/MXP/VCE/BLQ/FCO/NAP )

**Max** · 23-03-2013, 03:20 PM

Sell SriLankan or bring in Strategic Investor- Pathfinder Analysis

SriLankan Airlines, saddled with a Rs 25 billion loss in 2012, should either be sold along with budget carrier Mihin Air to pay for the accumulated losses or a strategic investor brought in, a Sri Lankan private think-tank has suggested.

The Pathfinder Foundation in an analysis of the airline and the way forward on Tuesday suggested three options on reducing the burden to the country as a result of running these two loss-making airlines.

In the first option, the private think-tank suggested that both SriLankan and Mihin Air should be sold to pay off accumulated losses.

The catering arm could be continued on a stand-alone basis as it has always been a profit centre. Many countries seem to find it necessary to have an airline for national pride.

More substantive arguments in favour of continuing the operations of SriLankan and Mihin Air are related to servicing the tourism sector, the multitude of temporary migrants working abroad, pilgrims and the Sri Lankan diaspora,” it said, pointing out however that these objectives can also be fulfilled, without the current adverse impact on the country’s budget and external debt servicing, by adopting an ‘open skies’ policy that provides liberalized access to landing at Sri Lankan airports.

In the second option, the Pathfinder Foundation said - scale down the operation of SriLankan Airlines only to those routes that are profitable i.e. make it a regional airline with very few non-regional destinations.

In addition, close down Mihin Air which is operating in the highly competitive regional budget airline space. Such scaling down could be complemented by some liberalization of access to landing rights for non-national carriers.

The third option envisaged finding a strategic investor to fill the large black hole in the SriLankan Airlines’ balance sheet which will only grow significantly as fleet renewal takes place.

SriLankan Airlines is unlikely to be sustainable without the infusion of capital from a strategic investor in the current context of fiscal consolidation. Even the scaled down operational model envisaged in Option 2 (above) is unlikely to be viable, without a strategic investor, particularly as the fleet renewal needs to begin very shortly.

It is likely to be difficult to find a strategic investor for Mihin Air (any deal for SriLankan Airlines would be made more difficult if Mihin Air was carried on its balance sheet). The more feasible option would be to sell off Mihin Air and compensate for this by providing increased landing rights for regional budget carriers.”

The think-tank institute said that need for urgent initiation of the fleet renewal for SriLankan Airlines places a high premium on decisive action to place its operations on a fundamentally more viable basis. Of the options given above, attracting a strategic investor seems to be the most realistic.

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http://www.sundaytimes.lk/latest/30973--sell-srilankan-airlines-or-bring-in-strategic-investor-pathfinder-advocates.html

**UL-L10** · 23-03-2013, 03:47 PM

it won't get a buyer while it is saddled with so much debts, and that loss making presidential toy airline !

**Srilankan1** · 23-03-2013, 07:52 PM

If its continues like there wont be any Srilankan Airlines in the future.

After all those losses now they have to land and go at Mattala too.I mean just to show to world there are flight movements at MRIA.

**Speedbird** · 23-03-2013, 11:45 PM

Originally posted by Dave View Post

it won't get a buyer while it is saddled with so much debts, and that loss making presidential toy airline !

Any sensible buyer would not touch it...and the GOSL would not sell it...they need it for their large entourage and to sponsor colombo night races; bidding for commonwealth games etc...right now GOSL does not know the definition of debt or loss...for them it is just a word in the dictionary.

Originally posted by Srilankan1 View Post

If its continues like there wont be any Srilankan Airlines in the future.

After all those losses now they have to land and go at Mattala too.I mean just to show to world there are flight movements at MRIA.

right now there is a single flight a day...there are more flight movement in Iqulait Airport YFB; mind you even a A380 landed there once for cold weather testing...Iqulait -it has the lowest population (6,700) of any capital city in Canada; almost close to arctic circle.

jokes aside...true when they start paying the Chinese commercial loan installment with 6% interest; some one should come up with that money.

**slaviator** · 24-03-2013, 10:18 AM

Originally posted by Speedbird View Post

Any sensible buyer would not touch it...and the GOSL would not sell it...they need it for their large entourage and to sponsor colombo night races; bidding for commonwealth games etc...right now GOSL does not know the definition of debt or loss...for them it is just a word in the dictionary.

right now there is a single flight a day...there are more flight movement in Iqulait Airport YFB; mind you even a A380 landed there once for cold weather testing...Iqulait -it has the lowest population (6,700) of any capital city in Canada; almost close to arctic circle.

jokes aside...true when they start paying the Chinese commercial loan installment with 6% interest; some one should come up with that money.

it's like most governments in the world and since your in love with Canada....in actual fact Canada's Public Debt to GDP ratio is higher than Sri Lanka's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...by_public_debt)....

its the same problem everywhere...everyone wants more but don't want to pay for it....its a case of wanting both Ice Cream and Cake unfortunately....

**Speedbird** · 24-03-2013, 03:53 PM

Originally posted by slaviator View Post

it's like most governments in the world and since your in love with Canada....in actual fact Canada's Public Debt to GDP ratio is higher than Sri Lanka's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...by_public_debt)....

its the same problem everywhere...everyone wants more but don't want to pay for it....its a case of wanting both Ice Cream and Cake unfortunately....

Yes I wonder at what rate does Canada AAA rated (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...rticle4485120/) borrows and what rate does Sri Lanka borrows at...By the way Canada is a advance democracy compared to Sri Lanka. Canada is full of untapped natural resources including arctic oil. debt servicing Canada is in a much better shape than in Sri Lanka. GofC does not use AC or WestJet as a private airline.

Anyway What does Canada public debt has to do with Sri Lanka Aviation Thread

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