Sri Lanka Aviation

**banuthev** · 08-02-2015, 02:16 PM

Originally posted by SLAA

Hi Banuthev! Thanks for the information. By the way, may I know the source of this news? Not saying that I don't believe you, we've just been hearing these rumours for the past 4-5 years. It thus would be awesome if you could give us a link, etc

Melbourne flight schedule loaded on the SriLankan Airlines website. It seems to be SriLankan is going to touch down in Australia after 13 years of absence.

Another good news SriLankan to boost the flights to Shanghai from 4 to 6 weekly and Chennai from 21 to 26 weekly effective Winter 2015.

UL866: 12:30hrs CMB-PVG 21:40hrs Days 2357
UL866: 13:20hrs CMB-PVG 22:30hrs Days 14
UL867: 00:20hrs PVG-CMB 05:35hrs Days 123456

**channa** · 08-02-2015, 06:57 PM

Originally posted by SLAA

I would say that this is potentially good news, but then you look at the timings. A 1am departure time is pretty good, because it captures the Subcontinental traffic, but I think that the arrival time back in Colombo is useless (11pm). It doesn't give much opportunity for connections, other than already oversupplied routes which have direct flights as well, like SIN, KUL, etc. Only BLR benefits from this.

No idea who plans these routes without taking into account different factors.

Hi Banuthev! Thanks for the information. By the way, may I know the source of this news? Not saying that I don't believe you, we've just been hearing these rumours for the past 4-5 years. It thus would be awesome if you could give us a link, etc

Arrival time to CMB is good for transit passangers for Europe. All early morning UL flights to Europe depart between 12 midnight and 3 am. But departure time from CMB is not that great for European transit passengers

MEL is home to more Srilankans than SYD, so that may be the reason for choosing MEL.

**budgetcarrier** · 09-02-2015, 02:47 AM

Originally posted by lordvader

Bit of a dumb move IMHO given the competition and yield on these routes. Maybe they might do a QF codeshare on the above flights to bring additional passengers from Australia? Anyway good luck to them.

BTW some interesting articles regarding UL this weekend:

National carrier rapped for safety lapses | The Sunday Times Sri Lanka

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150208/columns/talk-at-the-cafe-spectator/national-carrier-rapped-for-safety-lapses-134883.html

Civil Aviation Director General H.M.C. Nimalasiri has rapped the country's national carrier, SriLankan Airlines, over what he calls its pilots deactivating

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150208/col...as-134761.html (scroll down 3/4 of the page for the aviation related story)

Are the reports about safety true?

**ejanson65** · 09-02-2015, 06:09 AM

Originally posted by budgetcarrier

Are the reports about safety true?

Nothing like a little "name and shame"....

Sri Lankan Airlines – How Safe Are You To Fly? - Colombo Telegraph

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/sri-lankan-airlines-how-safe-are-you-to-fly/

[…]

Unfortunately the reports are true - I have heard about several of these incidents from former colleagues within the Airline. Several Pilots have had their Licences suspended.

There are plenty more incidents that have not made the papers and don't appear on the CAA website.

SriLankan have come very close to a hull loss - they have been extremely lucky.

As I've stated previously there is a culture of impunity and zero accountability within the Airline. Under the previous government the primary requirement to hold a management position was blind loyalty - competence and suitability were not factors.

As I've stated previously the CEO, COO and the entire board have to go - the sooner the better.

**Cayman** · 09-02-2015, 09:34 AM

Originally posted by ejanson65

SriLankan have come very close to a hull loss - they have been extremely lucky.

This appears to be the unanimous agreement of the 'people in the know'.

I sincerely hope they get their act together before the worst happens.

**banuthev** · 09-02-2015, 11:19 AM

Originally posted by channa

Arrival time to CMB is good for transit passangers for Europe. All early morning UL flights to Europe depart between 12 midnight and 3 am. But departure time from CMB is not that great for European transit passengers

MEL is home to more Srilankans than SYD, so that may be the reason for choosing MEL.

In my opinion SriLankan would have planned the flight timings as below to connect LHR with MEL via CMB because Sri lankan families in London fly to Melbourne to visit their relatives. SriLankan better increase more morning frequencies of London flights which would support the passengers to transit across to US and Canada.

DEP - ARR
CMB - MEL - 03:15 - 18:45
MEL - CMB - 20:15 - 01:15
CMB - LHR - 02:00 - 08:25
LHR - CMB - 09:55 - 02:25

Have they done any feasibility study before planning to launch the CMB-MEL flights? What's their target market? O&D traffic?

**channa** · 09-02-2015, 02:45 PM

Originally posted by banuthev

In my opinion SriLankan would have planned the flight timings as below to connect LHR with MEL via CMB because Sri lankan families in London fly to Melbourne to visit their relatives. SriLankan better increase more morning frequencies of London flights which would support the passengers to transit across to US and Canada.

Have they done any feasibility study before planning to launch the CMB-MEL flights? What's their target market? O&D traffic?

I agree with your comments Banu

**AF777** · 09-02-2015, 03:20 PM

Originally posted by flylanka

Melbourne makes perfect sense over Sydney. SYD is commercial hub.. but MEL has bigger SL community

Air Lanka or SriLankan Airlines in the past flew to Sydney and Melbourne. Why did they end such an important route for Australia?

With SriLankan leasing 6 new A333s I wonder whether they are planning new routes other than the already announced destinations: Melbourne. Of course these new 6 A333s will replace the 6 ageing A343s.

I wonder whether any one of you have heard any network expansion plans by SriLankan?..or could you guess what the new routes be. Toronto?

**SpookyFlyer** · 09-02-2015, 03:44 PM

Originally posted by AF777

Air Lanka or SriLankan Airlines in the past flew to Sydney and Melbourne. Why did they end such an important route for Australia?

With SriLankan leasing 6 new A333s I wonder whether they are planning new routes other than the already announced destinations: Melbourne. Of course these new 6 A333s will replace the 6 ageing A343s.

I wonder whether any one of you have heard any network expansion plans by SriLankan?..or could you guess what the new routes be. Toronto?

Toronto is not a very good route. I don't think there would be enough pax to fit an A333.

**Speedbird** · 09-02-2015, 05:58 PM

Originally posted by SpookyFlyer

Toronto is not a very good route. I don't think there would be enough pax to fit an A333.

Why do you say that???. YYZ is the only airport EK/EY cannot dump seats. restricted to 3 flights a week

**Speedbird** · 09-02-2015, 06:01 PM

Originally posted by banuthev

In my opinion SriLankan would have planned the flight timings as below to connect LHR with MEL via CMB because Sri lankan families in London fly to Melbourne to visit their relatives. SriLankan better increase more morning frequencies of London flights which would support the passengers to transit across to US and Canada.

DEP - ARR
CMB - MEL - 03:15 - 18:45
MEL - CMB - 20:15 - 01:15
CMB - LHR - 02:00 - 08:25
LHR - CMB - 09:55 - 02:25

Have they done any feasibility study before planning to launch the CMB-MEL flights? What's their target market? O&D traffic?

some LHR slots are sold

**Speedbird** · 09-02-2015, 06:06 PM

Originally posted by banuthev

SriLankan Airlines to start direct flights between Colombo and Melbourne from 2nd November 2015 onboard A330-300. It will be a four weekly service operating every Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, According to SriLankan Airlines Website.

UL 601: 0100hrs CMB-MEL 1630hrs
UL 602: 1800hrs MEL-CMB 2300hrs

Will this Melbourne route become profitable for SriLankan? I am quite surprised SriLankan decided to fly Melbourne instead of Sydney.

Hope this time they could turn it around

**channa** · 09-02-2015, 06:54 PM

Originally posted by SpookyFlyer

Toronto is not a very good route. I don't think there would be enough pax to fit an A333.

If UL wants to fly to Toronto, it should be with a stop over at Europe.

**banuthev** · 11-02-2015, 10:49 AM

SriLankan Airlines will be operating the following seasonal flights to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport for this Chinese New Year. SriLankan Airlines is already operating flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming and Chongqing in Mainland China.

13FEB - 02:15 - 11:05 - UL4001 - CMB-HGH - FRI
20FEB - 01:55 - 10:45 - UL4001 - CMB-HGH - FRI
27FEB - 01:00 - 09:50 - UL4001 - CMB-HGH - FRI

13FEB - 12:05 - 17:00 - UL4002 - HGH-CMB - FRI
20FEB - 11:50 - 16:45 - UL4002 - HGH-CMB - FRI
27FEB - 10:50 - 15:45 - UL4002 - HGH-CMB - FRI

Hopefully Hangzhou will be connected by a SriLankan's schedule flights in the future.

SriLankan's A330-243, 4R-ALB will be back from maintanance on 12/2/15 and it's going to operate as UL229 on CMB KWI. Any idea if 4R-ALB received the new economy cabin/seats?

**banuthev** · 11-02-2015, 10:50 AM

Originally posted by flylanka

Melbourne makes perfect sense over Sydney. SYD is commercial hub.. but MEL has bigger SL community

SriLankan's Melbourne flight information removed from the AIS/GDS system. Not sure what's going on?

Sri Lanka Aviation

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