Sri Lanka Aviation

**CalgaryLankan** · 28-01-2016, 09:39 PM

Just saw this "Lanka Aviation News " website in a link provided in SL Airports Page.

Looks up to date and well managed non-biased website. Anyone in this forum managing it?

**Speedbird** · 28-01-2016, 09:50 PM

Originally posted by Cayman

Banu,

YYZ or any North American destination for that matter will be a colossal mistake. Long Haul (especially ULH) are notoriously difficult to turn a profit out of and bigger players than UL also burnt badly, trying.

UL has no choice, but to discontinue the three continental European destinations immediately and perhaps increase the frequency to LHR (slot permitting). I know they operate like 10 weekly flights, perhaps they should make it double daily.

UL really has to focus on regional flying and strengthen their presence in China and India.

1st UL cannot operate 2 x daily to LHR UL sold some of the slots
YYZ will be a profitable route...all ME3 are restricted to Canada (3 flights a week...thats it just 3 flights a week)...and Canada is not US where ME3 have open skies...before trimming further routes...UL should trim its FAT...that is # employees...there are over 10 UL Managers in UK?

https://www.otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/bilateral-agreements

**Cayman** · 28-01-2016, 10:57 PM

Originally posted by Speedbird

all ME3 are restricted to Canada (3 flights a week...thats it just 3 flights a week)
https://www.otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/bilateral-agreements

No, UAE has 6 weekly flights. EK operates 3 A380s and EY operates 3 77Ws.

QR also has 6 slots and I am not sure if they are utilizing all that.

Would EK love to have daily flights to YYZ? I am sure they do. But that does not mean that there is a market for UL to fly YYZ.

UL needs to abandon the idea of following the diaspora and instead start following money!

**Cayman** · 28-01-2016, 11:08 PM

Look at some of the UL fares to Europe in their website:

From Sri Lanka to Rome - LKR 59,200 Return - Economy (this is USD 408 for a 10+ hour flight RT)

From Singapore to Rome - SGD 422 Return - Economy (this is USD 295 for a 15+ hour flight RT)
From Singapore to Paris - SGD 422 Return - Economy (this is USD 295 for a 15+ hour flight RT)

(http://www.srilankan.com/en/special-.../special-fares)

Clearly these fares are not profitable. UL are basically subsidizing international travelers at the expense of the Sri Lankan tax payers!

**Speedbird** · 28-01-2016, 11:10 PM

Originally posted by Cayman

No, UAE has 6 weekly flights. EK operates 3 A380s and EY operates 3 77Ws.

QR also has 6 slots and I am not sure if they are utilizing all that.

Would EK love to have daily flights to YYZ? I am sure they do. But that does not mean that there is a market for UL to fly YYZ.

UL needs to abandon the idea of following the diaspora and instead start following money!

QR has 3 to YUL...yes UAE has 6 but each airline has a max of 3...EK want to have double daily to yya daily to yyc and daily to yvr but canadian government does not allow that. it is not following diaspora...it is following the money...ME3 carries over 80% of transit pax...if the object is to make money...then you go following the market...where there is no competition..

**LukeSkywalker** · 28-01-2016, 11:15 PM

Originally posted by Cayman

No, UAE has 6 weekly flights. EK operates 3 A380s and EY operates 3 77Ws.

QR also has 6 slots and I am not sure if they are utilizing all that.

Would EK love to have daily flights to YYZ? I am sure they do. But that does not mean that there is a market for UL to fly YYZ.

UL needs to abandon the idea of following the diaspora and instead start following money!

Having a large diaspora doesn't necessarily translate into high yields. UL has tried that with MEL a couple of times and failed (which supposedly has the largest SL diaspora in the world). North America certainly would not be a viable option.

**Speedbird** · 28-01-2016, 11:19 PM

Originally posted by LukeSkywalker

Having a large diaspora doesn't necessarily translate into high yields. UL has tried that with MEL a couple of times and failed (which supposedly has the largest SL diaspora in the world). North America certainly would not be a viable option.

MEL/SYD is very highly competitive routes...and let take Canada out of North America shall we...

**Speedbird** · 28-01-2016, 11:25 PM

Originally posted by Speedbird

MEL/SYD is very highly competitive routes...and let take Canada out of North America shall we...

If UL launch direct flight to YYZ it is not just Sri Lankan diaspora...most of them like me fairly(almost completely) disconnected from Sri Lanka...2/3 rd generation...but there is business need to connect South Asia with Canada...AC launched to Delhi...PIA/AI two badly managed airlines; one of the most profitable route is YYZ...

And finally any Canadian PAX who want to fly to Canada; they do not like to transit via US...If pax need to transit via US the you need to clear custom at US entry...that is mandatory...many of them just misses the connecting flight due to immigration and custom clearance via US

Canadians/Snow Birds loves to visit Maldives & East Africa rather than going to Mexico...but unfortunately there is lack of air connectivity between canada and South Asia & East Africa

**Max** · 29-01-2016, 02:04 AM

SriLankan launches thrice-weekly non-stop flights from Guangzhou to Colombo

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/s...ou-to-colombo/

**Max** · 29-01-2016, 02:50 AM

A350 XWB Final Assembly: A Step-by-Step Overview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=W0jlu0ghNIg

**Serendib** · 29-01-2016, 12:34 PM

Originally posted by ejanson65

There's no money to do anything. The Management are nothing but NATO members.

No alternative but to cut routes in a desperate attempt to reduce losses (another epic fail...).

The Management of the Airline are mostly political appointees - their function is to rubber stamp whatever the GOSL decrees and keep the funds flowing to family, friends and cronies.

Any efforts to investigate obvious theft, fraud and abuse of power have been blocked.

Rampant corruption and incompetence at all levels within the Airline. I've explained how it works at the office.

There's only one way this ends imho.

This was the situation at Flight Ops in 2013 when I left. The holes really were lining up - somehow they managed to avoid an accident.

http://www.safety-s2s.eu/modules.php...art=4&idp=1412

PRECIFAC re-examines irregularities at SriLankan Airlines - http://newsfirst.lk/english/2016/01/...irlines/126552

Nishantha Wickremesinghe at PRECIFAC - http://www.sundaytimes.lk/video/9421...he-at-precifac

SriLankan Airlines government guaranteed bonds rated 'BB-' - http://www.economynext.com/SriLankan...__-3-4119.html

**ejanson65** · 29-01-2016, 07:07 PM

Originally posted by Serendib

PRECIFAC re-examines irregularities at SriLankan Airlines - http://newsfirst.lk/english/2016/01/...irlines/126552

Nishantha Wickremesinghe at PRECIFAC - http://www.sundaytimes.lk/video/9421...he-at-precifac

SriLankan Airlines government guaranteed bonds rated 'BB-' - http://www.economynext.com/SriLankan...__-3-4119.html

This has been going on for almost a year - not a single person has been held to account.

HHR Pradeepa and former COO Druvi are both still employed.

It's all just a show imho - don't believe anything will happen.

BB- is considered a "Junk Bond"

From Investopedia.com

However, it is important for investors to realize that this higher rate serves as compensation for investing money in a company or government that may not be financially sound and may result in the loss of one's investment.

**Sidekicker** · 29-01-2016, 07:14 PM

Does anyone know what is going on with Qatar Airways A340-600? On flight radar24 it was about to take off but returned back to the gate. The status says unknown but there seems to be another Qatar A340-600 about to land in Colombo.

**Max** · 30-01-2016, 03:05 AM

Sri Lankan Airlines needs to start a new phase of its long restructuring process with the investments from Foreign & Sri Lankan investors and Sri Lankan government only needs to maintain a minority stake in the airline as it will help to increase the investor confidence, as in the past, government must not interfere with UL Management.

It will be better in the future if UL management can get below stake holders…….

49% - Qatar Airways
30% - Aitken Spence
21% - Sri Lankan Government

**ejanson65** · 30-01-2016, 10:34 AM

Originally posted by Max

Sri Lankan Airlines needs to start a new phase of its long restructuring process with the investments from Foreign & Sri Lankan investors and Sri Lankan government only needs to maintain a minority stake in the airline as it will help to increase the investor confidence, as in the past, government must not interfere with UL Management.

It will be better in the future if UL management can get below stake holders…….

49% - Qatar Airways
30% - Aitken Spence
21% - Sri Lankan Government

We are well past the point that this is possible imho. About 10 years too late.

Qatar has most likely turned this option down already - there is no benefit for them. They'd be smarter to wait for UL to collapse and then start up their own Airline in Sri Lanka.

Nobody will invest in an Airline that has huge debts and even more future liabilities. Nobody wants a large group of unqualified and incompetent people who can't be fired.

In its present form there is no conceivable way to ever make this profitable.

Nobody will touch this Airline imho.

Make no mistake - this isn't a business. This is a wealth transfer vehicle - public funds in and funds out to family friends and cronies.

Sri Lanka Aviation

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