SriLankan Airlines Outlines Planned Operation from Hambantota from late-March 2013 - http://airlineroute.net/2013/03/03/ul-hri-mar13/

Thanks for the news! Damn theyre going to lose a lot of money using widebodies on such a short trip! Wish they got 1 or 2 used A318s at a cheap price and used them between HRI and CMB and HRI and MLE as a feeder service. Wouldve made more sense IMHO. Also the inconvenience of now having 2 stops on a flight to China may drive customers to competitors with a 1 stop product.

Wow.. thanks for the info Banu & Serendib

Saw this post earlier on Airline Route... No words.. aargh

UL website including online booking engine/media section is dead silent on HRI flights (at least as of now).

I am not sure how the outlook would be bright on a company which is loosing average US$ 130 million a year and does not have a strategy of reducing cost. This is an airline which has very high load factors to London and still makes a loss on that route. apparently there are 13 managers operating from London (Please let me know if thats is a wrong statement). I am not sure why Mattala is very high priority is for this loss making airline; As an interim this airline should be requesting to increase the runway length at CMB so they could utilize A340 with full load of cargo.

If they are waiting for a price drop on Jet A1 fuel...they would be waiting for a very long time. Even GOSL is unable to obtain fuel on a concessionary terms these days.

And if they are waiting for new capital injection from GOSL again they would be waiting for a very long time; currently this (GOSL) administration is unable to finance some of their grandiose projects they have started.

Sri Lanka's national carrier facing significant financial losses
Mon, Mar 4, 2013, 10:04 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Mar 04, Colombo: Sri Lanka's national carrier, SriLankan Airlines has indicated to the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) that it was facing significant financial losses.

A member of COPE, United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian, Ravi Karunanayaka has said that the airline had informed COPE last week that it is expected to lose an additional Rs. 34 to 35 billion within the next few years.

The airline made a record loss of 17.18 billion rupees in the 2011/12 financial year, from a loss of 202.3 million rupees a year ago.

The opposition MP has noted that the airline had not indicated any plan to overcome the situation.

According to Karunanayaka, the airline is trying to operate flights to the new Mattala Airport despite current losses.

The UNP MP has added that SriLankan Airlines officials did not have a restructuring plan as well.

"However, when they were asked how they intended to minimize losses, they admitted that they did not have a clear-cut plan, but expected the oil prices to reduce, and the selling price of tickets, to go up, but nothing of a tangible nature," Karunanayaka has revealed.

The parliamentarian noted that the airline has a huge excess of staff, and in his opinion, no hope of recovering.

"The move to operate flights from the new Mattala Airport will only add to their burdens. They are simply making this move because they are asked to do so without any tangible plan in place," Karunanayaka has said.

The CEO of SriLankan Kapila Chandrasena in a recent interview with Reuters has said that under a five-year strategic plan the company would add more routes to India and East Asia to take advantage of rapid economic growth there to make the airline more profitable.

How is the Fuel supply to Mattala Airport??

How they are gonna serve A380 s of Emirates according some reports?

Air Arabia’s Sharjah-Mattala Service Now Ready for Booking...

By road from the refinery @ Sapugaskanda and yes it will cost more to transport. If the refinery is closed then buy refined product from Singapore spot market...transport to Colombo or Galle unload then transport it back to Mattala. IMHO Hambantota port does not have any oil storage or unloading facility, but it is under construction at Hambantota port; not sure if they could complete that coz installment payment are due @ Hambantota port grace period is over. There is rumor going around SLPA and GOSL is trying to sell the Hambantota Port and the coal power plant.

TTG says ..

India knocks on Singapore, Sri Lanka's doors for flights
Shekhar Niyogi, Kolkata, March 4, 2013

INDIA'S Ministry of Civil Aviation is initiating negotiations with the governments of Singapore and Sri Lanka for additional flights, even as the country's capacity to Japan is set to increase soon.



According to Ajit Singh, India’s civil aviation minister, current seat entitlements between India and the two countries are almost exhausted.

Tiger Airways is in talks with SpiceJet and Indigo for an alliance to route passengers from smaller cities to Hyderabad for onward travel to Singapore. Passenger traffic between Singapore and India grew 10.4 per cent last year.

Out of Sri Lanka, carriers such as Mihin Lanka are also seeking flying rights to more Indian destinations after the launch of services to New Delhi, Varanasi and Gaya in February. India is Sri Lanka’s largest source market, comprising 23,500 one-way seats a week or 25 per cent of flight capacity out of Colombo.

Anil Punjabi, chairman *– east, Travel Agents Federation of India, said: “There is a persistent demand for flights to cities like Colombo and Singapore from Indian carriers. Given the low yield on most domestic sectors, Indian carriers should be allowed to fly to as many international destinations as our air service agreements will permit.”

Meanwhile, Japanese carrier ANA is planning to quadruple Mumbai-Tokyo Narita flights to four daily flights. The airline will also introduce thrice weekly flights to Bengaluru and four weekly flights to Chennai within this year.

Most Indians travelling to the US transit in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Hong Kong, and ANA is set to make Tokyo the fourth gateway on this route.

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Special flight from US for the inauguration of Sri Lanka's Hambantota International Airport

Don't panic- it is not United/Delta/AA 777 doing a special flight from USA to celebrate Mattala opening. It is UL special flight from DXB with Emirates connections from North America to DXB. I

Spending a staggering amount of money on fuel. UL - State-run loss-making Sri Lankan Airlines

Sri Lanka faces rising debt burden

The total Sri Lankan government debt as at end of August 2012 stood Rs.6249 billion against Rs.5059 billion reported in the same period of 2011, amidst rising domestic and foreign debt, the latest data released by the central Bank showed.

The total domestic debt which consists of treasury bills, bond and rupee loans stood at Rs.3253.2 billion at the end of August 2012, against Rs.2801.7 billion recorded in the same period of the previous year while total foreign debt rose to Rs.2995.8 billion against Rs.2257.3 billion. Thus, total outstanding government debt increased by 21.7 percent compared to end December 2011.



SriLankan Airlines borrows US$175 million to pay creditors

SriLankan Airlines is to get a loan of 175 million US dollars from the Mashreq Bank in the UAE to pay its creditors.

Sri Lanka's Cabinet of ministers has agreed to offer a government guarantee to the national carrier to obtain the loan, it said.

The loan comes in the wake of a plan in February this year by government to invest in a five year Treasury Bond to the value of 125 million dollars to SriLankan Airlines as equity funding.

Any news about China Eastern & Flydubai service to HRI?

This Flight doesnt have Anything to do with USA. I dont know why the media mention from usa. Really this is a flight from DXB thats it. Srilanka Media try to people fool...