I see that 4R-ALC is back in service since 12 April. Currently, 4R-ALG is the only A332 without business class refurbishment. Is it getting done or the business class of 4R-ALG is ok for long haul routes. Anyone got any pictures of current 4R-ALG Business and economy cabin? I believe all A332 has both economy and business refurbishment except 4R-ALG. Correct me if I'm wrong.

-MRF isn't active since 8th April

I heard 4R-ALC has received light-weight seats (Recaro) in the economy class. I think it will be similar to the seats have got in 4R-ALD - http://www.tourmag.com/photo/art/def...g?v=1417527453

Does anybody have the new cabin pictures of 4R-ALC?

Rumour has 4R-ADG going to be phased out in Mid July 2015 when the fourth A330-343E (4R-ALO/MSN1650) join our SriLankan fleet.

Skyliner, What will they do to replace the current 7 x A332s which have to be returned to the lessors in 2017-2019 as per their current lease agreements?

hmmm Why ADG... it is because of cycles?? ADE & ADF are older frames right??

I am not sure about the flying-cycles but this A340 (ex CX / MSN381) operating only with 243 seats (38C 205Y) which wouldn't suite the business of SriLankan Airlines. There are confusions in selling the business class seats for this aircraft. Totally It's a big mistake they made leasing this 4R-ADG, rather they would've leased some mid aged A330-200/300 with better seat config. Recently SriLankan using their A340s (ADE/ADF) to their high density routes like Saudi Arabia. Even I am a big fan of A340 aircraft, I will say SriLankan has to keep only fuel efficient aircraft in the fleet because the airline is already under big losses. Sorry to say this 4R-ADG should go!

A340-300's are being retired all over the world. This due to fuel costs and the low powered engines.
Aerolinas Argentinas took over some A340's from Iberia, but that is about it if I am not mistaking. All the rest are being dismantled.

SriLankan Airlines ramps up flight frequency to Chennai

Sri Lankan national air-carrier SriLankan Airlines today said it has increased the frequency of flights between Chennai and Colombo with the resumption of a daily flight from tomorrow.

"The addition of fourth daily flight from April 16 will bring the total frequency of flights between Sri Lanka and India to 86 flights per week," the airline said in a statement.

According to the company's website, due to drop in traffic between Chennai and Colombo, the airline reduced frequency of flights to Chennai from 28 to 14 per week with effect from March 21, 2013.

On the re-introduction of flights, SriLankan Airlines, General Manager (Sales), Worldwide, Saminda Perera said, "Chennai is a key market for us and one of the fastest growing cities in Southern India. This daily flight will cater to growing business, corporate and leisure demand between Sri Lanka and Chennai".

is 4R-ALG getting cabin modifications on both Business and Economy class. Or it is still flying with old BMI configuration?

PILOTS GUILD to CALL FOR UL COO'S REMOVAL


Ceylon Finance Today: The Airline Pilot's Guild of Sri Lanka is preparing to call for the removal of SriLankan Airlines' Chief Operating Officer (COO) Capt. Druvi Perera following the damning report of the Board of Inquiry into the national carrier, Guild sources said. Aviation circles are buzzing with questions as to the continuation of Capt. Perera in that capacity in the wake of damning evidence found against him in the Weliamuna Report.

How SriLankan is going to replace the ageing A330-200s if SriLankan cancel the A350-900 order with Airbus?

They might extend the lease period?? 332 fleet is still young.. 10+ years..

Bid to revive Mattala: Free for all airlines

The Government has implemented an open skies policy over the ailing Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), granting international operators all nine “freedoms of the air”—including the liberty to use it as a base for commercial airline operations.

The new development is expected to be published as a gazette and in the worldwide aeronautical information circular this week. It has already been conveyed to relevant local authorities, Aviation Director General H.M.C. Nimalsiri said.

Meanwhile, SriLankan Airlines, which no longer has commercial operations at the Mattala airport, has given up its ground handling rights there. This allows the airport management freedom to design plans to attract customer airlines.

These decisions were taken at a meeting on Tuesday chaired by Civil Aviation Minister Reginold Cooray and attended by officials from the ministry, the Civil Aviation Authority, Airport and Aviation Services Ltd and SriLankan Airlines. They agreed that, in view of the massive investment already made on the Mattala airport, they should take every possible measure to put the installation to good use. This included removing any barriers or restrictions on local and foreign airlines.

The Government has been saddled with sprawling operational and maintenance costs. It was decided, therefore, that traffic rights would be made freely available to any airline operating into and out of MRIA. Minister Cooray instructed officials to explore avenues for a reputed foreign airline to start passenger and cargo commercial operations using MRIA as a base.

The nine freedoms of the air are (in that order) : The right to fly over a foreign country without landing; the right to refuel or carry out maintenance in a foreign country without embarking or disembarking passengers or cargo; the right to fly from one’s own country to another; the right to fly from another country to one’s own; the right to fly between two foreign countries on a flight originating or ending in one’s own country; the right to fly from a foreign country to another while stopping in one’s own country for non-technical reasons; the right to fly between two foreign countries while not offering flights to one’s own country; the right to fly inside a foreign country, continuing to one’s own country; and the right to fly inside a foreign country without continuing to one’s own country.

Up to last week, only the first to fifth freedoms were allowed for MRIA. In the case of Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), they are even more limited to protect the business of the national carrier, SriLankan Airlines.

“These freedoms operate in the manner of a route permit,” Mr. Nimalsiri said. “International airlines should now know that, if they want to come to MRIA, they have unbridled access. They can come and start operating out of Mattala.”

“There are certain airlines that have a lot of money but limited opportunities,” he added. “If they think they should come to Sri Lanka and engage in an international operation with a destination they consider useful, they could do so.”

One example of this is Air Asia, a Malaysian airline, using Indonesia as its base. “Mattala now needs more and more airline operations,” Mr. Nimalsiri concluded. “We are exploring the possibility of MRIA getting into the full stream of commercial operations.”

See, the point of bankruptcy is - in Asian terms (not US Terms)

1) to stop paying creditors any loan due
2) stop any interest due on loans
3) freeze the staff movement, and impose a pay freeze
4) start trimming excess staff, with a consultant (kflyer may help there )
5) come up with a rescue plan, with new loans or all measures, to revive the airline
6) failing all of the above, shut down, forget the creditors, and let them rot with whatever they are due .. and dismiss all the staff

Or as a regional Asian Airline did, find a investor to take over and privatise it ..

Now the problem with UL is, who is the major creditor ?

And you think the party in power is going to stay in power, if they fire the thousands of UL staff ?

So back to plan B - continue pumping money ! And the previous management, I am sure, knew this, for them to go on a wild spending spree !

Turkish Airlines is also looking at introducing two direct flights to Sri Lanka from mid this year. "This is due to fast connections Turkish Airlines offers from Istanbul to other destinations". Currently, Turkish Airlines operates to Colombo with a stopover in the Maldives.

See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=business/....sjpOfKmj.dpuf

Makes sense to have direct IST-CMB flights as passengers to and from CMB are to IST and beyond as TK does not have fifth freedom on MLE-CMB-MLE sector. Plus TK too is expanding at a rate and flies into many European, Central European and African Cities that the QR, EK and EY dont fly.