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**MalaysiaMustafa** · 30-03-2015, 04:13 PM

Originally posted by lordvader View Post

No frills for Mihin, no frills at BIA

By Sunimalee Dias
View(s): 65

While SriLankan Airlines and Mihin Air would merge according to state plans, the budget carrier would however operate mainly to carry pilgrim traffic, Ports and Aviation Minister Arjuna Ranatunga said in Colombo on Wednesday.

Speaking to the Business Times on the sidelines of a media briefing, he noted that while the merger would take place Mihin Air would primarily cater for pilgrim traffic adding that the carrier had performed better than the national carrier.

The report on the merger would be released on March 31, he said without indicating the manner in which this merger would be carried out.
Minister Ranatunga observed that in respect of the route planning for SriLankan Airlines, the routes that were not feasible would be removed in future, though no decision was taken on the specific routes yet.
The minister declined to comment on the interim report submittedby the senior lawyer J.C. Weliamuna-led committee. The full report is scheduled to be ready by March 31.

No frills for Mihin, no frills at BIA | The Sunday Times Sri Lanka

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150322/business-times/no-frills-for-mihin-no-frills-at-bia-140429.html

While SriLankan Airlines and Mihin Air would merge according to state plans, the budget carrier would however operate mainly to carry pilgrim traffic, Ports and

Will there be an announcement tomorrow regarding merging MJ and UL?

**banuthev** · 30-03-2015, 05:18 PM

Austria's National Carrier, Austrian Airlines (OS) to re-launch direct flights on Vienna-Colombo from 27 October 2015. Austrian Airlines will be operating Colombo with once a weekly nonstop flights onboard Boeing 767-300 with First, Business and Economy Classes. Flying hours between Vienna and Colombo from 09:10 to 10:25hrs. Good to hear European carriers are coming back to Colombo but it's sad British Airways has terminated the Colombo flights couple of days ago. Does all Austrian B763s have winglets? It will be nice to see these birds at Colombo.

OS047 - VIE-CMB - 17:45 - 07:25 - B763 - TUE+1
OS048 - CMB-VIE - 10:05 - 16:00 - B763 - WED

**flylanka** · 30-03-2015, 08:58 PM

Originally posted by banuthev View Post

Austria's National Carrier, Austrian Airlines (OS) to re-launch direct flights on Vienna-Colombo from 27 October 2015. Austrian Airlines will be operating Colombo with once a weekly nonstop flights onboard Boeing 767-300 with First, Business and Economy Classes. Flying hours between Vienna and Colombo from 09:10 to 10:25hrs. Good to hear European carriers are coming back to Colombo but it's sad British Airways has terminated the Colombo flights couple of days ago. Does all Austrian B763s have winglets? It will be nice to see these birds at Colombo.

OS047 - VIE-CMB - 17:45 - 07:25 - B763 - TUE+1
OS048 - CMB-VIE - 10:05 - 16:00 - B763 - WED

All OS B767-300ER have winglets. OS does not have F class cabin. It will be only Biz and Economy. I am a bit baffled as to why one weekly flight. How would crew roster work? Dead heading crew? or 6 night lay over for the crew? Latter seems unlikey

**Speedbird** · 31-03-2015, 03:59 AM

Originally posted by flylanka View Post

All OS B767-300ER have winglets. OS does not have F class cabin. It will be only Biz and Economy. I am a bit baffled as to why one weekly flight. How would crew roster work? Dead heading crew? or 6 night lay over for the crew? Latter seems unlikey

Access Denied

http://www.austrian.com/Info/Flightinformation/News.aspx?sc_lang=en&cc=CA

**Speedbird** · 31-03-2015, 04:13 AM

Originally posted by Srilankan1 View Post

Oh yes spot on brother.some people here were making big hype about new Aircraft orders and without thinking how this will effect the Airlines financial situation.

& most of the "some people" have vanished into thin air...and I am also awaiting their response on UL ex-management and their current view on HRI

Sri Lanka confronts ex-leader's extravagant projects in 'middle of nowhere'

http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-sri-lanka-excesses-20150330-story.html#page=1

This remote coastal scrubland, a haven for wild elephants and migratory birds that is several hours away from the nearest city, seems like an odd place to attempt to create a major commercial hub.

**Speedbird** · 31-03-2015, 04:17 AM

Originally posted by sfernando34 View Post

I don't understand why they didn't just launch a non-stop from Heathrow, like you said...

GOSL (not the present) requested BA to operate from LGW

**Speedbird** · 31-03-2015, 04:21 AM

Originally posted by janhongladarom View Post

Maybe is because they want to stick with an all Airbus fleet and pilot for A343 and A332 can easily switch to pilot the A333 with no hassel and save cost on training.

If you try to stick with one vendor...then you need to dance with same vendor...UL should have leased some 77Ws

**anthonylk** · 31-03-2015, 05:32 AM

President Maithripala Sirisena returned to the island after the conclusion of his trip to China, at 12.20am on board Singapore Airlines Flight SQ 468

Did he go to Singapore as well or was this cuz there was no Sri Lankan flight when he wanted to return ?

Page not found - Asian Mirror

http://www.asianmirror.lk/news/item/7911-president-sirisena-returns-from-trip-to-china

**Srilankan1** · 31-03-2015, 07:27 AM

Originally posted by Speedbird View Post

If you try to stick with one vendor...then you need to dance with same vendor...UL should have leased some 77Ws

Yes . even now its not late to do it.

I cant undertsand some people saying issues like pilot training, maintenance as problems to have boeings. There are plenty of other Airlnes have mixed fleet and why not UL??

777- 300 ER will be a good option if UL have plans to fly Australia also in future.

**anthonylk** · 31-03-2015, 08:52 AM

Originally posted by Srilankan1 View Post

Yes . even now its not late to do it.

I cant undertsand some people saying issues like pilot training, maintenance as problems to have boeings. There are plenty of other Airlnes have mixed fleet and why not UL??

777- 300 ER will be a good option if UL have plans to fly Australia also in future.

Maybe a good idea, but not at the moment. UL is already in debt into millions, and we still have to pay for the aircraft that has been ordered, not to mention the leases for the existing ones. So right now, ordering new 777's, training, maintenance, etc. is not economical.

**Max** · 31-03-2015, 08:59 AM

EK will withdraw A340s soon, same as UL.......

**lordvader** · 31-03-2015, 10:00 AM

Originally posted by anthonylk View Post

Maybe a good idea, but not at the moment. UL is already in debt into millions, and we still have to pay for the aircraft that has been ordered, not to mention the leases for the existing ones. So right now, ordering new 777's, training, maintenance, etc. is not economical.

If at all they should forward plan and order some A350-1000s as extra aircraft (seeing UL already has A350-900s on order). By the time they get them in the early 2020s, hopefully UL would've overcome its debt issues. AFAIK it also has fairly similar capabilities to the 777-300ER.

**Speedbird** · 31-03-2015, 01:25 PM

Why UL is unviable vanity project...

404 Not Found

http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/40028

extract

"...He wanted to start an airline because he believed it was a symbol of progress.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines employed a good Sri Lankan captain. Would I release him? Of course, but how could an airline pilot run an airline? He wanted Singapore Airlines to help. We did. I advised him that an airline should not be his priority because it required too many talented and good administrators to get an airline off the ground when he needed them for irrigation, agriculture, housing, industrial promotion and development, and so many other projects.

An airline was a glamour project, not of great value for developing Sri Lanka. But he insisted. So we helped him launch it in six months, seconding 80 of Singapore Airlines’ staff for periods from three months to two years, helping them through our worldwide sales representation, setting up overseas offices, training staff, developing training centres and so on. But there was no sound top management. When the pilot, now chairman of the new airline, decided to buy two second-hand aircraft against our advice, we decided to withdraw. Faced with a five-fold expansion of capacity, negative cash flow, lack of trained staff, unreliable services and insufficient passengers, it was bound to fail. And it did..."

Some people in this forum criticised LKY...he was a visionary of his time...

**banuthev** · 31-03-2015, 04:41 PM

4R-ADC flew a test flight as UL8 on the 30-3-2015. Any idea when this aircraft going to go back to the lessor? any news on this?

Date From To Flight STD ATD STA Status
* All dates and times are in UTC timezone
2015-03-30 Colombo (CMB) Colombo (CMB) UL8 10:05 10:05 - Landed 10:29

Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24

http://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/4r-adc/#5e0ba19

The world’s most popular flight tracker. Track planes in real-time on our flight tracker map and get up-to-date flight status & airport information.

**MalaysiaMustafa** · 31-03-2015, 04:46 PM

Originally posted by MalaysiaMustafa View Post

Will there be an announcement tomorrow regarding merging MJ and UL?

So far, no announcement made today it seems

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