SriLankan Airlines is going to open new second-tier destinations in China.

Sri Lanka has formally handed over the Hambantota Port to China and SL Gov has received $292M. Any possibility Hambantota Airport will get direct flights from / to China to transport the port workers? I am curious how does the government is going to use the income from Hambantota Port which has been leased out to China. I am sure they have to use the income for pay off the China loans. But Will the SL Gov use the part of the income for paying off the debt of the national air carrier?

Isn't the airport being given on a long term lease to India?

Unless UL is restructured it won't survive for a long . Srilankan Politicians are solely responsible for present status of UL. Ul have a very high ratio of employees per air craft when compared with other international air lines. The work force has to be drastically reduced

Srilankan - 7000 employees for 26 aircrafts
Etihad - 20000 for 126
Qatar - 24000 for 206
Singapore airlines - 25000 for 112
Air Asia - 17000 for 86 aircrafts
Air India - 21000 for 114
Air Canada - 42000 for 403
Qantas Airways - 29000 employees for 119 aircrafts
Air Transat - 5000 for 36

Unfortunately most people in Sri Lanka and even in this forum cannot see the forest from the trees. They some how believe magically money grows on trees

Will never happens...Sri Lankan politicians will never fire anyone...one of the condition of TPG was to reduce the staff level of UL...GOSL politicians said NO...TPG said Goodbye...even now they are waiting for a sucker to come and invest in UL

After handing over Hambantota Port to Chinese; there is severe political pressure to absorb 400+ Hambantota port workers to SLPA...Chinese have told GOSL that they don't want them...but politicians on both aisles are pushing the GOSL to absorb them

As for news, they are going to put it in a special Fixed Deposit.

What are the new aircraft that are yet to be delivered? Have they already got/started production?

As previously planned by UL & Airbus, One A321neo have to be delivered in March 2018 and four A350s are to be delivered after 2020.

There is no confirmation released on media that HRI handed over to other company or country.

So 4R-ANE was the last to be delifered until now. Hmm, we will not see anymore pictures from TLS or XFW for sometime. :|

Are there any replacement plans for the 332s? Or when they go that's it and UL will make do with the A333s?

I thought the leases of four A332s (ALA/B/C/H) were extended in 2016. May be these four A332s will be replaced by A350 in 2020. Rest of the two A332s (ALD/J) might be returned to the lessor before 2020.

IOC allegedly brought down substandard A1 Fuel

The Indian Oil Company (IOC) imported a stock of 14,000 metric tonnes of substandard aviation fuel into the country on Monday (11), the Petroleum Trade Union Alliance claimed yesterday.

According to Alliance spokesman Bandula Saman Kumara the oil-tanker "Meadows’ had reached Sri Lankan waters carrying “Jet A1” Aviation fuel which was later found to be of low-quality as it failed the first quality test carried out by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC).

- DailyMirror

http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/IO...el-142185.html

Malaysian firm proposes investment plan to revive national airlines

Amid speculations of closure and employees writing to Chairman Ajith Dias that they did not have confidence in him as well as the top management of the ailing national carrier SriLankan Airlines, a leading Malaysian company has come forward with an investment proposal to revive the national airlines, Daily Mirror learns.

The significance of the investment proposal of Super Group Holdings Pvt. Ltd. of Malaysia is its consent to reactivate the now defunct regional airline of the country, Mihin Air.

An authoritative source told Daily Mirror on condition of anonymity that Super Group Holdings had suggested to run SriLankan as a low-cost carrier with available resources within the airline and is keen on substantial investment. The proposal had already been forwarded for review to the Economic Committee chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

“The proposals also include operating SriLankan Airlines as an international as well as regional low-cost carrier and Mihin Lanka as a regional and domestic carrier utilising the entire network now in use. All domestic airports such as Ratmalana, Palali in Jaffna, Trincomalee, Koggala and Anuradhapura will be refurbished and upgraded under the proposed programme in addition to international airports of Bandaranaike and Mattala International Airports. It is quite possible that Mihin Lanka will be re-branded and used as a low-cost carrier to cater to the South Asian region and the Indian Sub Continent in a concept of ‘City-to-City’ project,” he said.

The certificate already issued to Mihin Lanka by the International Civil Airlines Organisation (ICAO) will be used for the new project.
http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Ma...es-142244.html

IndiGo to operate flights to Colombo from Chennai, Bengaluru


CHENNAI: IndiGo will operate new flights from Chennai and Bengaluru to Colombo in Sri Lanka starting January 20, 2018. This will be the airline's eighth international destination and will be offering a starting fare of Rs 3,599 from Chennai and Rs 5,999 from Bengaluru.

Flight schedule: Chennai-Colombo flight will depart at 6.55am, Colombo-Chennai at 9.15am, Chennai-Colombo at noon, Colombo-Bengaluru at 2.25pm, Bengaluru-Colombo at 6pm and Colombo-Bengaluru at 8.30pm.
Aditya Ghosh, president and whole time director, IndiGo, said, "As one of the most sought-after destinations in South Asia, Colombo draws visitors from across the globe for its fine blend of tradition and culture. It gives us immense pleasure to add Colombo as our 49th destination and cater to the needs of both business as well as leisure travellers."

Good news! But I am very surprised why indigo is giving very short notice about Colombo launch.

Hoping for good change in Sri Lanka Aviation.