Is it really possible to make the UL profitable by next year?

Interview: SriLankan to fly more to India, Japan, China; eyes profitability next year

Author ANUSHIKA KAMBURUGAMUWA
Posted on September 9, 2015 | Economy, Lead Story
Sri-Lankan
Sep 09, 2015 (LBO) – The national carrier SriLankan Airlines is planning to cut some unprofitable routes and expand to India, Japan and China, Ajith Dias, chairman of the airline told Lanka Business Online.

“We are now rationalizing our fleet and rationalizing where we are going. We are increasing our flights to China, because our focus is India, China and Japan. That’s where the visitors are,” he said.

Dias said the airline has not yet finalized routes it plans to cut and will continue to fly current routes till end March next year.

According to data of state statistics office, the passenger kilometers flown and total revenue of SriLankan Airlines increased by 7.7 percent and 9.8 percent respectively in the first quarter of 2015.

In 2014, total revenue increased to 115.5 billion rupees, up 5.4 percent, and operating expenditure rose to 144.4 billion rupees, up 4.6 percent, data from the Central Bank shows.

The airline recorded an operating loss of 29 billion rupees in 2014, compared with a 28.6 billion rupee loss recorded in 2013.

SriLankan last made profits in 2008, and has been racking up losses since a management deal with Dubai-based Emirates ended. Over the past five years both Sri Lankan and Mihin made operational losses of 89.9 billion rupees, according to Central Bank data.

“We are trying our best to get SriLankan as close to profitability. With little luck we will get to profitability next year. But you never know, we might even break even this year,” Dias said.

Commenting on the rupee depreciation, he said: “it will impact on whatever we import as fuel, but fuel prices are also coming down, so I do not think that there will be major impact from that.”

The new government earlier had a plan to merge the two state airlines to make it a profitable business. But Dias says the two airlines will run as separate businesses as they cater to different markets.

“We are running Mihin as a separate company and managing it. They are paying for that (management) as it is not free,” Dias said.

“We are not trying to merge the two companies because one is different to the other. Also some of the routes that Sri Lankan are flying have been given to Mihin Lanka.”

Looks like ADA also left CMB - any idea where it is heading ?

AT 16.57 CET she was above Black Sea heading Eastern Europe.

AT 19.43 CET she flew over AMS and now flying over north sea; she may do a tech stop in Northern UK or Ireland it seems.

Its landing at Shannon Airport - which is usually stopover point before crossing the pond.

Very emotional moment for our everyone :-( Is she heading to USA via Shannon Airport ? Why they are sending all these A340s to USA for part out. Is it because lessor found the buyers over there to sell the aircraft-parts ?

Can't SriLankan engineering do the part out in CMB? I remember SriLankan engineering done the part out for one of the A320 few years ago. Obviously it's not that easy to do part out for a bigger aircraft like A340.

Hi Rahalroxz, Were there any ceremony at CMB for the retirement of first A340 in Asia? I was wishing they will keep her for display in CMB with Airlanka livery. Very sad our gov couldn't afford to do that.

Banu - as per Skyliner Aviation the final destination is CEW, but for customs they might stop at another entry point before flying to CEW.

I have flown on this one twice if my memory is correct; once when it had Air Lanka livery from CMB to AMS in 1995. Kind of an end of era!

Hi... Unfortunately there was no such a ceremony and the aircraft left with a white fin even i think it should have given a proper farewell.
In less than 3 months, the last 340 will be taken out and i think we'll never see a quad engine aircraft ever again in UL fleet

Question, were these leased or owned ?

PR did a fancy farewell for their last 747-400 !

Was nice, in MNL

Leased.
4R-ADA arriving in Shannon 9/9/15 evening. Where it's gonna be scrapped?





Flightaware

Impossible for this to ever make money in its current form. The Airline is riddled with corruption and incompetence from top to bottom.

It's almost impossible to fire anyone - no matter how useless they are!

Still zero accountability - Druvi and Pradeepa both still employed despite being found guilty of abuse of power by the Weliamuna report.

No ongoing investigation into how close to $1 Billion has been lost - despite clear evidence pointing to fraud and theft.

Ajith Dias - just another NATO member! The sooner he goes the better imho.

The entire article is nothing more than propaganda. Ignore.

Looks like 4R-ADA flew back to England and ended up at Cotsworld Airport. They have Air Salvage International based at this airport.

Banu; it's not that far from you��

Suren Ratwatte the new chief executive!



Anyone knows the guy?

A video clip of landing and more pictures of the 4R-ADA's final flight to Cotsworld Airport in Kemble, Gloucestershire, UK can be found here.

SriLankan Airlines appoints new CEO

SriLankan Airlines has appointed Captain Suren Ratwatte as the new chief executive officer of the airline with effect from October 2015.

The airline said in a statement that Captain Ratwatte is an airline pilot with over 30 years of experience in the field whose first appointment was with SriLankan’s predecessor, Air Lanka in 1984.

Captain Ratwatte is also a holder of Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, the statement said.

“With over 18,000 flying hours in a number of different types of aircraft, including the Boeing B-777 and Airbus A380, he has been deeply immersed in airline operations for many years,” SriLankan Airlines said.

“His expertise includes a variety of senior instructional and management roles in Airlines, most recently was the Human Factors Manager of Emirates Airlines.”

The addition of the iconic new Airbus A380 Super Jumbo aircraft to the Emirates fleet has provided two Sri Lankans with a unique opportunity to become part of this milestone in the history of the Dubai-based international airline.

Captains Suren Ratwatte and Suhail Hashim, who joined Emirates in 1989, are among the first of the airline’s pilots to fly the brand-new aircraft.

Captain Suren Ratwatte flew the A380 aircraft registered as F-WWDD out of Airbus Industrie’s home airfield in Toulouse France on June 18, while his close friend Captain Suhail Hashim flew the same aircraft the following day.

The two pilots were part of the first batch of Emirates crew to qualify to fly the huge aircraft, now being operated by Emirates between Dubai and New York.