Sri Lanka Aviation

Thanks for sharing the update !

Azur Air is planning to connect Mattala with Novosibirsk with One off charter and two weekly flights with Samara.

Hi Banu,
Could you please grab any info or gossip about Local Domestic startup airline called as "Lotus Airlines" which was about to start before Covid 19 and plans were scrapped due to Covid 19, as far as I heard.

Nop, Peter Hill resigned from Fits Air (Vice President - Passenger Operations) and Now he is working with some other African Startup Airline.

Any new information on the to-be 4R-ALU(MSN#1037)?

i didnt notice the latter part. thanks for sharing!
then it may be overseas maintenance (since there's already an A333[4R-ALQ] in the 747 hangar)

Nice to know Mr Peter Hill sharing the knowledge for the development of Sri Lanka Aviation. Is Mr Peter Hill still working as a CEO for Fitsair?

Domestic airline better operated from CMB so it can connect domestic passenger with international flights. Any details of the upcoming Domestic airline?

No movements of 4R-ALN since it arrived in ICN on the 08-10-2025. I wonder if ALN visited ICN for scheduled maintenance ? Noticed there was an additional flight UL470/471 to ICN on the same week. UL have only two weekly CMB-ICN flights. Third weekly planned only after Mar-2026.

New Domestic Airline Could Transform Travel and Tourism in Sri Lanka Within Months

Sri Lanka may soon witness a significant leap in its domestic aviation landscape, with plans underway to launch a scheduled airline service using mid-sized aircraft capable of seating between 50 and 70 passengers.

The initiative, expected to take flight within the next six months, aims to resolve a persistent challenge that has long hindered the equitable spread of tourism across the island.

The proposal was revealed by Peter Hill, a veteran of the aviation industry and former Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines, during a high-level panel discussion at the International Tourism Leaders Summit 2025.

The event, held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo, brought together global and local tourism stakeholders to explore the theme of “Tourism Innovation and Connectivity for the Future of Sri Lanka Tourism.”

Hill, who is actively involved in shaping the prospective airline, addressed a critical obstacle facing the industry: the time-consuming and often impractical overland travel to key regions such as Jaffna, Trincomalee, and the Eastern coastline.

While these destinations boast rich cultural heritage and natural beauty, they remain underutilised due to poor internal connectivity.

“Travelling to many parts of the country still takes far too long,” Hill noted, highlighting how the lengthy journeys by road dissuade tourists from venturing beyond the well-trodden routes. A journey from Colombo to Jaffna, for instance, can exceed nine hours by car, while the same trip would take less than an hour by air.

The solution, according to Hill, lies in introducing the right type of aircraft—not the costly helicopters and limited-capacity air taxis currently available, but comfortable, efficient turboprops with room for both passengers and their luggage. He emphasised that such aircraft are already widely used in regional aviation markets around the world and are easily obtainable.

This shift, he argued, could dramatically improve the tourist experience and stimulate economic activity in underdeveloped regions by opening up quicker, more reliable travel options. Tourists, he added, are increasingly willing to pay for time-saving alternatives that maximise their experience within limited itineraries.

Although the concept is still in the planning phase, Hill confirmed that discussions with potential investors are ongoing, and that regulatory adjustments would be necessary to transition from ad-hoc charter flights to a fully-fledged scheduled carrier. He acknowledged that the project would require support from government authorities to move forward smoothly.

“There’s still a journey ahead in terms of permissions and logistics, but if all goes to plan, we could see this become a reality in the next six months,” Hill stated, signalling cautious optimism. “It’s something the country badly needs, and the timing is right.”

Lanka News Web (LNW)

Peter Hill urges SriLankan Airlines to revive ‘Indian Ocean hub’ strategy with Africa focus

Former SriLankan Airlines CEO Peter Hill has called on the national carrier to revive its once-successful ambition of becoming the “hub of the Indian Ocean,” this time with a strategic emphasis on expanding into Africa.

Speaking at the International Tourism Leaders Summit 2025 in Colombo, Hill encouraged the airline to move beyond traditional markets and adopt a multi-layered growth plan to tap into new regions.

Instead of launching potentially costly direct flights, Hill proposed an “island-hopping” model, connecting African destinations through key Indian Ocean stopovers. He said this approach would allow SriLankan to serve multiple markets while positioning Colombo as a key transit hub linking Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Recalling his tenure as CEO, Hill pointed to the airline’s past success in India as proof of concept. Under his leadership, SriLankan expanded to 100 weekly flights across 10 Indian cities, becoming the largest foreign carrier in that market. “If we could achieve that in India, we can replicate it in other diverse regions,” he said.

https://www.dailymirror.lk/business-...cus/273-321514

maybe.
last op'd 07/10/2025 as UL470(CMB-ICN) for anyone who wants to know.

Is 4RALN AOG in ICN?

Hello banu,
Don't forget that Edelweiss will be deploying 2X weekly flights from ZRH to CMB from 28th OCT onwards using A340-300, JZ reducing frequency cause of lack of slots and also because KU is poised to start flights to CMB from KWI.

There is a possibility that Rossiya will be operating on behalf of Aeroflot from the latter part of November or December, but not confirmed. will let you know, Azur Air will be deploying their regular winter schedule as usual, 767 will be deployed

Also, Uzbekistan Airlines to begin flights to HRI from Dec 2025, Dates will be annouced soon.
So far, that means here are the airlines that are due at HRI,

-SkyUp Airlins
-RedWings Airlines
-Belavia
-Uzbekistan Airlines

SriLankan Airlines and Saudia strengthen interline partnership

SriLankan Airlines (UL) and Saudia Airlines (SV) have renewed and enhanced their interline partnership.

This strengthened collaboration links 13 international destinations and 13 domestic points across Saudi Arabia to Sri Lanka and beyond.

According to SriLankan Airlines, the agreement offers passengers throughout Saudi Arabia greater convenience, improved connectivity, and wider travel options across both flag carriers' networks.

The move reinforces the long-standing relationship between the airlines.



​https://www.themorning.lk/articles/EkNL7XjZsG278l48v4gI

Winter 2025 Flights Updates

Thai AirAsia is going to increase DMK-CMB flights from 7 weekly to 10 weekly from 3-Dec-2025.

Jazeera Airways is going to increase KWI-CMB flights from 7 weekly to 10 weekly from end of Oct25 to Dec25. I really wonder why Jazeera couldnt continue 10 weekly after Dec25. Is it due slot availability at CMB?

Enter Air is planning to connect CMB with Warsaw, Katowice, Pozan, Gdansk from end Oct25 to Mar26.

Turkish Airlines is planning to use A350-900 for 2 weekly on IST-CMB flights and rest of the 8 weekly flights will be operated by A330-300s during Winter 2025 season.

Indigo reduced TRZ-JAF flights from 7 weekly to 3 weekly. MAA-JAF flights are operating 7 weekly.

Qantas to operate one off charter to CMB in Feb26.

Does anyone know if any other flights or airlines going to operate CMB and HRI ?

Any chance to see Air France, LOT this winter?

alas, it has happened.