Sri Lanka Aviation

SriLankan Airlines Chairman Sarath Ganegoda Resigns; Acting Chairman Appointed
Mr. Sarath Ganegoda has resigned from his position as Chairman of SriLankan Airlines, effective 31 March 2026.

Until a new Chairman is appointed by the Secretary to the Treasury, Mr. A.K.D.D. Dimal Arandara will serve as Acting Chairman of both entities.

Meanwhile, Director Mr. Rohan Goonetilleke has also stepped down from the Boards of SriLankan Airlines Limited and SriLankan Catering Limited.

SriLankan Airlines Announces Updated Board Composition
SriLankan Airlines has announced its updated Board of Directors following recent resignations.

The new board composition is as follows:

Mr. A. K. D. D. Dimal Arandara – Acting Chairman cum Treasury Representative
Flt./ Lt. (retd.) Sugath Rajapakse
Mr. Vipula Gunatilleka
Dr. Harsha Cabral, PC
Mr. Dumith Fernando
Mr. Senarath Liyanage

The revised board structure comes at a crucial time for the national carrier as it continues to navigate operational and financial challenges.

‘Batik Air’ Malaysia Returns to Colombo Skies
Batik Air Malaysia has officially resumed its direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Colombo today (30 March 2026), reconnecting the two cities with four weekly services operated on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays using Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

The return of operations marks a boost in regional connectivity and travel convenience between Malaysia and Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, M & C Companies Pvt. Ltd continues to serve as the airline’s General Sales Agent (GSA).

IndiGo has further strengthened its connectivity to Sri Lanka with the launch of new direct flights between Delhi and Colombo.
Commenced on 29 March 2026, the airline now operates six flights every week on this Delhi–Colombo route.

With the addition of these flights, IndiGo now operates over 55 weekly flights to Colombo from Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Delhi.

For UL, DEL is a profitable and high yield route. 6E's new flight between CMB DEL means 🤕

IndiGo will start new direct flights between Delhi and Colombo from March 29 as the airline expands its international network. The airline will operate six flights a week on the route using A320 aircraft, offering more travel options between India and Sri Lanka.

Hi all,
Today will be the last day that Edelweiss will be operating it's A340s to Sri Lanka, will be switching over to the A350 from April 2nd. Will mark an end of an era for A340 passenger services to Sri Lanka.
LASTA340.jpg

I think, both UL and 8D will not wet-lease/dry lease these jets from Middle East Carriers because of many reasons.

First thing is : This Middle east instability will not there for a long time.
Second thing is : Middle east airlines will not lease their grounded fleet
Third thing is : Lease amounts will be quite high.

With several Middle Eastern carriers grounding aircraft due to regional instability, is there a strategic window for SriLankan Airlines and FitsAir to lease these units? To what extent would acquiring these additional aircraft help both airlines meet their current expansion targets and frequency requirements?

Its about Slots and Fleet.

ME conflict: Airlines seek more BIA access

22 Mar 2026 | By Faizer Shaheid

• Qatar Airways, Emirates, Omani carrier make requests: Min.
• Govt. proposes MRIA as alternative
• CAA awaits flight plan details to arrange MRIA

The closure of parts of Middle Eastern airspace has prompted preliminary discussions on the potential use of the loss-making Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) as a contingency hub for Gulf carriers.

A detailed discussion on the matter is scheduled for tomorrow (23), following a number of international carriers seeking more access to the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

Speaking to the media, Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka said that airlines such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, and an Omani carrier had requested facilities at the BIA to operate additional flights.

“They have made these requests under the current war situation to operate additional flights. In fact, they are currently requesting the BIA. However, due to congestion at the BIA, we are proposing Mattala as an alternative,” he said.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Media Spokesperson and Air Navigation Services Director Thilina Warnasinghe told The Sunday Morning that the proposal remained under discussion, although the airport was operationally ready.

“Mattala Airport is fully prepared and operationally ready to handle any requirements that may arise. However, specific details regarding which airlines are making requests and the precise nature of their operational plans are not yet available for comprehensive analysis,” he said.

“The concept of utilising Mattala as a hub for Gulf flights is currently under active discussion rather than a finalised plan. Nevertheless, the facility is available, it is functioning in line with all regulatory requirements, and it is ready to facilitate any diverted traffic if carriers from the Middle East choose to use it,” he added.

However, he cautioned that physical capacity constraints could limit the airport’s ability to accommodate a large influx of aircraft.

“The primary challenge we anticipate relates to structural limitations in terms of how many aircraft we can park and accommodate at a given time. The apron capacity is limited to approximately 10 aircraft in total. This depends on the mix of narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. If the incoming traffic consists entirely of wide-body aircraft, the maximum capacity decreases to around seven or eight. We must be mindful of these spatial limitations when assessing the feasibility of this proposal,” he said.

The MRIA is currently used for a limited number of flight operations. At present, it serves the Russian airline Red Wings and accommodates special flights that do not operate on fixed schedules. It is also used as an alternate airport during adverse weather conditions.

Given its significant operational losses, the Government plans to call for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from private entities across several sectors, including repair and maintenance, cargo operations, hotel and hospitality services, and a flying school, to develop Mattala Airport.

Officials noted that a significant investment was required to normalise operations and resume regular aircraft movements, which the Government is currently unable to undertake. The airport is reported to incur a monthly loss of approximately Rs. 250–300 million.

I think the CMB-LGW flights would be the following day, as they depart Mon/Wed/Fri and arrive 0900+1.
So CMB-LGW on Tue/Thu/Sat

I wonder why UL is not increasing flights to LHR. Is it due to shortage of aircraft or difficulties in finding slots from LHR?
I feel UL have good potential increasing more flights to Europe and Canada as crisis affecting the aviation in Mid-East.
Please share your thoughts.

Thanks for the update ! I see ABL and ALO are not active since yesterday. Are they parked or under maintenance?

4R-ALL & ANA are back in service but 4R-ANC & ALS are out of service from 18 Mar

Ex-SriLankan Airlines CEO claims Rs. 60 mn bribe was paid to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa

Ex-SriLankan Airlines CEO claims Rs. 60 mn bribe was paid to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa
The Colombo Magistrate’s Court was informed today (19) that former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena admitted in a statement to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption that Rs. 60 million received as a bribe in the 2016 Airbus deal was handed over to then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

According to the Commission, Chandrasena stated that the bribe was paid in three installments to Rajapaksa, with an additional Rs. 20 million allegedly given to former Civil Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne.

Investigations revealed that the money was funneled through a shell company registered in Brunei under Chandrasena’s wife’s name, with funds transferred from Europe to an account in Australia.

The funds, totaling over Euro 1.45 million, were reportedly obtained from the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company as part of the scandal. Portions of the bribe money are said to have been distributed to a SriLankan Airlines director and other high-ranking officials.

Chandrasena was arrested in connection with the case, and Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama ordered his further remand until 2 April.

The investigation continues as authorities seek to unravel the full extent of the alleged corruption.