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**WizzWaveSien** · 21-08-2024, 12:44 PM

Has Chongqing Airlines already axed the CKG-CMB-MLE flights? I haven't seen their flights on the radar lately.

**Haleef** · 21-08-2024, 01:29 PM

Originally posted by banuthev View Post

Welcome to our forum!

I see UL also planning to expand the flight out of Colombo, effective Jan25.

I believe all the neos are returning to service end of Dec24. Haleef - Can you please confirm?

No, but ABL and MRE will be leaving back to their respective lessors next year.

**WizzWaveSien** · 22-08-2024, 08:03 AM

Originally posted by banuthev View Post

I heard B737 will be used to Colombo by Spicejet.

Any update on extending JAF runway to accommodate A320/B737?

Indigo is going to increase Chennai - Colombo flights from 2 Daily to 3 Daily effective 15 Oct.

Sri Lanka in negotiations with Ethiopian and Kenya Airways to start flights to Colombo. Do you think there is a demand on this route for these airlines?

IndiGo to operate another 3rd additional daily flight from Chennai using the A320neo aircraft from OCT 15th 2024
6E 1173 - MAA TO CMB (8:15 PM TO 9:35 PM)
6E 1174 - CMB TO MAA (10:35 PM TO 11:55 PM)

Can someone please confirm if IndiGo will operate daily flights from Chennai using the A321neo until the end of October? ( I have been seeing their a321 neos at CMB recently on their 6E 1171 flights from MAA TO CMB)

**banuthev** · 22-08-2024, 11:04 AM

Originally posted by 4R-ALA View Post

any idea why 4R-ANC is inactive since 16 Aug?

I see 4R-ANC was active earlier on FR24. Seems it taxied couple of times and now back to the hangar. Any idea what's going on?

Attached Files

4r-anc.jpg (60.2 KB, 95 views)

**banuthev** · 22-08-2024, 11:13 AM

Originally posted by Haleef View Post

No, but ABL and MRE will be leaving back to their respective lessors next year.

Thanks Haleef! I really wonder why srilankan.com flight schedules show all the neos are active from end of Dec24.

Attached Files

neo sked.jpg (33.5 KB, 102 views)

**WizzWaveSien** · 23-08-2024, 02:49 AM

Originally posted by banuthev View Post

I see 4R-ANC was active earlier on FR24. Seems it taxied couple of times and now back to the hangar. Any idea what's going on?

4R-ANC is now back in operation. flew UL141 and UL142 yesterday
image.png

**WizzWaveSien** · 23-08-2024, 02:29 PM

Sri Lanka’s newest airline Air Ceilao promises to revolutionise air travel | Daily FT

https://www.ft.lk/business/Sri-Lanka-s-newest-airline-Air-Ceilao-promises-to-revolutionise-air-travel/34-765868

A thrilling new chapter in Sri Lanka’s aviation story will unfold with the imminent launch of Air Ceilao, the nation’s newest international airline. With an ambition to revolutionise the local industry, Air Ceilao said yesterday it is ready to take off harnessing Sri Lanka’s strategic position as a regional aviation ..

Air Ceilao: Sri Lanka’s newest airline to be launched.

Guys, what do you think about this? personally not a lot of information has been released yet but I think its great for local carriers to challenge the dominance of Sri Lankan and FitsAir. That is if it actually launches though.

**Serendib** · 23-08-2024, 07:54 PM

Originally posted by WizzWaveSien View Post

https://www.ft.lk/business/Sri-Lanka...avel/34-765868

Air Ceilao: Sri Lanka’s newest airline to be launched.

Guys, what do you think about this? personally not a lot of information has been released yet but I think its great for local carriers to challenge the dominance of Sri Lankan and FitsAir. That is if it actually launches though.

Air Ceilão

https://www.airceilao.com/

Who is the investor?

**banuthev** · 23-08-2024, 08:27 PM

Originally posted by WizzWaveSien View Post

https://www.ft.lk/business/Sri-Lanka...avel/34-765868

Air Ceilao: Sri Lanka’s newest airline to be launched.

Guys, what do you think about this? personally not a lot of information has been released yet but I think its great for local carriers to challenge the dominance of Sri Lankan and FitsAir. That is if it actually launches though.

Good to see private airlines trying to expand the international flights. Will this airline have seats to fill in Middle east and Asia Pacific route?

**umedhah** · 24-08-2024, 12:13 AM

Originally posted by WizzWaveSien View Post

https://www.ft.lk/business/Sri-Lanka...avel/34-765868

Air Ceilao: Sri Lanka’s newest airline to be launched.

Guys, what do you think about this? personally not a lot of information has been released yet but I think its great for local carriers to challenge the dominance of Sri Lankan and FitsAir. That is if it actually launches though.

Too many people starting Airlines... We need just one state owned and one budget. Country won't be able to handle this many. What happened to Spark Air? Just people making publicity on the launch but not really happening. This is stupid.

**banuthev** · 24-08-2024, 09:15 AM

Originally posted by umedhah View Post

Too many people starting Airlines... We need just one state owned and one budget. Country won't be able to handle this many. What happened to Spark Air? Just people making publicity on the launch but not really happening. This is stupid.

I feel Colombo is not well-connected or under-served by airlines with the regional destinations. E.g. We still don't have direct flights to destination like Yangon, Jeddah, Phuket etc. Also Frequency of flights is very low to destinations to Riyadh, Bahrain, Muscat, Bangkok, Trichy etc. I find expansion progress is very slow by UL or Fitsair. I kind of feel we need another private airline to expand to 2nd/3rd tier destinations in India and codeshare with UL and let UL to focus on regional and long-haul destinations.

I can see Fitsair is planning to increase flights to Dhaka and Male' from Nov24. so from Nov24, Fitsair will fly Dhaka (3 weekly), Chennai (7 weekly), Dubai (7 weekly) and Male' (7 weekly). I really wonder why Fitsair is not using its 3rd aircraft for its expansion instead of wetleasing to other airline?

Back in the days, Colombo was the transit point for sound india and maldives passengers. In the recent years, South india is well connected to regional and long-haul destinations and Colombo is loosing the market (transit point for sound india and maldives passengers).

Please share your thoughts?

**ULlove** · 24-08-2024, 02:36 PM

Originally posted by banuthev View Post

I agree we were reading the projects like Peace Air, Spark Air, Air Colombo etc on the news and these never been materialised. So we need to wait and see on Air Ceilao.

But I feel Colombo is not well-connected or under-served by airlines with the regional destinations. E.g. We still don't have direct flights to destination like Yangon, Jeddah, Phuket etc. Also Frequency of flights is very low to destinations to Riyadh, Bahrain, Muscat, Bangkok, Trichy etc. I find expansion progress is very slow or expansion to specific destinations not being materialise by UL or Fitsair. I kind of feel we need another private airline to expand to 2nd tier destinations in India and codeshare with UL and let UL to focus on regional and long-haul destinations.

I can see Fitsair is planning to increase Dhaka flights from 2 to 3 weekly, Male' flights from 4 to 7 weekly from Nov24. so from Nov24, Fitsair will fly Dhaka (3 weekly), Chennai (7 weekly), Dubai (7 weekly) and Male' (7 weekly). I really wonder why Fitsair is not using its 3rd aircraft to its expansion instead of wetleasing to other airline?

Back in the days, Colombo was the transit point for sound india and maldives passengers. In the recent years, South india is well connected to regional and long-haul destinations and Colombo is loosing the market (transit point for sound india and maldives passengers).

Please share your thoughts?

Banuthev,

UL shot itself in the foot and is still shooting itself. The airline long time ago should have been serving India with at least 300 flights per week connecting tier 1,2 and 3 cities. It was never done. Just look at what happened when we joined Oneworld alliance. We signed up before Qatar Airways, but Once Qatar came in UL became useless to the point we only added TRZ and HRI to the OW network. Even BA and AA codeshare with Indigo Airlines an LCC.

Indigo Airlines and now Air India and AIX will start flying (and are already) from Tier 2 cities in India to ME and SE Asia.

Even getting Used Aircraft like A320 and A330 has become an issue for us for growth.

So who is our target market now? India Is way beyond MAA, BOM, DEL, HYD and BLR. We lost out on a lot of opportunities within the SAARC and SE Asia. Looks like the commercial teams are not concerned at all. Very Sad

**nipuna787** · 24-08-2024, 02:46 PM

Originally posted by WizzWaveSien View Post

https://www.ft.lk/business/Sri-Lanka...avel/34-765868

Air Ceilao: Sri Lanka’s newest airline to be launched.

Guys, what do you think about this? personally not a lot of information has been released yet but I think its great for local carriers to challenge the dominance of Sri Lankan and FitsAir. That is if it actually launches though.

I think I have to agree with umedhah . And also with ULlove aviation industry in SL is a mess and very inefficient. We had the golden opportunity of being in the middle of Aussie & Europe connection, we didn't took the chance. We were the Indian's best choice for long distance flights, we didn't take the chance. We could have done a lot.

If UL took the initiative of doing things right there could have been a space for budding airlines to bloom in SL. Now it's just a joke. No growth space for small players. Everyone from the outside scrape what we could have cultivated.

Also, I don't like to say speculative things on a public forum. But you know what those "bogus" companies "could" do. In my defence, I'm not saying anything definitive here.

**suganya07** · 24-08-2024, 08:15 PM

Great to hear new airlines wants to come into the market and spread the wings ! This will make the market competitive and passengers will get an advantage

**banuthev** · 25-08-2024, 09:49 AM

Originally posted by WizzWaveSien View Post

Has Chongqing Airlines already axed the CKG-CMB-MLE flights? I haven't seen their flights on the radar lately.

Yes i see last flight operated on the 15-Jul so operated for only 3 months. I wonder if it's suspended due to lack of passenger demand. I saw on the news Sri Lanka tourism didn't do well in 2024, may be due the issue with e-visa. I see China Eastern and Air China also planning to reduce CMB flights from 7 weekly to 3/4 weekly. Very sad.

Sri Lanka is issuing free-visa scheme. Hopefully tourism will get better,

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