Looks like Hi-Fly has put it on to revenue service. With the Sri Lankan livery :-o

Brighter or Darker skies over SriLankan Airlines?



The airline is saddled with three unwanted ancient Airbus A330-200 wide-bodied aircraft due an erroneous, arbitrary and unilateral extension of lease agreements by the CEO. Total lease cost for three aircraft six-year lease period amounts to USD 54.54 million. This transaction will "weaken the balance sheet" annually whilst the culprit, recruited for a princely salary of Rs 3 million plus perks, is not disciplined. To be fair, a majority of directors objected to CEO’s decision. They were overruled by a cabinet sub-committee. As a result, this costly mistake was not discussed during the meeting between Board members and CEO with the President, Prime Minister and cabinet of ministers last Tuesday.

So the leases of ALA, ALB & ALC have been extended by 6 years!!!! .

A business case to operate four weekly flights to Melbourne in Australia has been given the green light to operate daily flights. Scheduled to operate with three ancient Airbus A330-200 aircraft (Melbourne flights would incur heavy losses if operated with newer Airbus A330-300 aircraft due to high lease charges), Melbourne route is projected to be profitable from day one due to a monthly lease charge of only USD 225,000 per aircraft (this lease charge is applicable only for a short period). According to top airline officials, Melbourne route would be a ‘leadership route’

And they will use them for the MEL flights

My information is that it isn't going to UL but will remain in the Hifly fleet.

Probably tied to the ongoing issues between UL and Aercap.

You want the perfect example of Delusional Thinking? See above.

It would be funny if it wasn't so tragic.

I don't know who this is coming from UL or from one of our esteemed 'investigstive journalists'. Both are next to useless. I don't know how things will progress from here we are almost at the tail end of the Sri Lankan airline lifecycle with UL.

Air Ceylon lasted about 43 years? UL's demise has been hastened somewhat by the meddling in the last 10 years. No private entity in its right mind will dare to establish anything beacuase someone might come along and nationalize it. And the cycle will continue on...

Mabye one of the root of the problem is most of the SL head of state see UL as a personal mode of transport., mabye getting the airforce to have a VIP jet would lessen the meddling somewhat?

The World's Top 100 Airlines - 2017

2017 Rating. Airline. 2016 Rating
1 Qatar Airways 2
2 Singapore Airlines 3
3 ANA All Nippon Airways 5
4 Emirates 1
5 Cathay Pacific 4
6 EVA Air 8
7 Lufthansa 10
8 Etihad Airways 6
9 Hainan Airlines 12
10 Garuda Indonesia 11
11 Thai Airways 13
12 Turkish Airlines 7
13 Virgin Australia 18
14 Swiss Int'l Air Lines 15
15 Qantas Airways 9
16 Japan Airlines 21
17 Austrian 19
18 Air France 14
19 Air New Zealand 17
20 Asiana Airlines 16
21 Bangkok Airways 20
22 KLM 24
23 China Southern 32
24 Hong Kong Airlines 29
25 Finnair 27
26 AirAsia 23
27 Cathay Dragon 22
28 Norwegian 30
29 Air Canada 31
30 Aeroflot 40
31 Malaysia Airlines 34
32 Delta Air Lines 35
33 Virgin Atlantic 28
34 Korean Air 36
35 China Airlines 37
36 Alaska Airlines 60
37 Aegean Airlines 33
38 Aer Lingus 49
39 jetBlue Airways 53
40 British Airways 26
41 easyJet 38
42 Iberia 52
43 Virgin America 25
44 Jetstar Airways 46
45 AirAsiaX 48
46 Air Astana 43
47 Vietnam Airlines 44
48 Ethiopian Airlines 76
49 South African Airways 41
50 Avianca 56
51 Saudi Arabian Airlines 82
52 Azul Brazilian 55
53 Oman Air 42
54 Southwest Airlines 66
55 Porter Airlines 47
56 SilkAir 39
57 Indigo 51
58 WestJet 50
59 LATAM 45
60 Scoot 61
61 Jetstar Asia 54
62 TAP Air Portugal 64
63 Alitalia 58
64 Eurowings 75
65 SAS Scandinavian 62
66 Thomson Airways 65
67 Philippine Airlines 83
68 Brussels Airlines 59
69 Copa Airlines 69
70 Air Transat 88
71 Azerbaijan Airlines 70
72 China Eastern 79
73 Jet Airways 71
74 American Airlines 77
75 Fiji Airways 91
76 Ryanair 108
77 Air Mauritius 73
78 United Airlines 68
79 LOT Polish 92
80 Air Seychelles 63
81 SriLankan Airlines. 2016 Rating : 67
82 Icelandair 81
83 Juneyao Airlines 90
84 Gulf Air 80
85 Air Berlin 74
86 Hawaiian Airlines 72
87 American Eagle Airlines 84
88 Vueling 109
89 Air Nostrum 89
90 Tigerair 97
91 Kenya Airways 85
92 Royal Brunei Airlines 95
93 Air Malta 101
94 Xiamen Airlines 110
95 S7 Airlines 104
96 Peach 78
97 Royal Air Maroc 115
98 Air China 87
99 Air Canada rouge 131
100 Aeromexico 94

Source : Skytrax

CS-TFZ at DUS Source:https://www.planespotters.net/photo/...irbus-a330-243

More details emerge on SriLankan’s Airlines state of affairs

•Line minister had no knowledge on national carrier’s decision to terminate deal with Airbus
•CID probe underway on the purchase of four Airbus A -350 900 aircraft
•AG questions legality of Airbus agreement and the need to sign numerous agreements with other parties

Yes indeed! CS-TFZ has been flying with SriLankan colours to Rhodes, Palma and Egypt. Publicity for UL. But CS-TFZ was ferried to Manchester from Dusseldorf yesterday. It must be for repainting the aircraft for new owner. I suspect new owner is Azur Air Germany.

Oh no... So we are not getting her into the fleet

Oh no what's going on here?

when is 4R-ANC (A321NEO) going to be delivered?

UL 215 just returned back to CMB. Reason Unknown.https://www.flightradar24.com/data/a...4r-abo#de1a5cd

Bulgarian Government A319-112 in CMB from Sharjah.https://www.flightradar24.com/data/a...lz-aob#de11b0b

ALK/UL 215 has taken back to the skies after 2h delay.(operated by 4R-ABO)https://www.flightradar24.com/data/a...4r-abo#de1e63a