Sri Lanka Aviation

Collapse
This is a sticky topic.
X
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • MAW2000
    Senior Member
    • Aug 2023
    • 249

    #13891
    Originally posted by banuthev



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

    Comment

    • MAW2000
      Senior Member
      • Aug 2023
      • 249

      #13892
      Originally posted by banuthev



      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?
      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.

      Comment

      • banuthev
        Administrator
        • Dec 2010
        • 3945

        #13893
        Originally posted by WizzWaveSien

        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
        Thanks for sharing the update !

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

        Comment

        • banuthev
          Administrator
          • Dec 2010
          • 3945

          #13894
          In my opinion Sri Lanka Airports should be operated by below airlines and destinations.

          Jaffna Airport - Local airline would've connected Jaffna with Chennai, Trivandrum, Trichy, Madurai, Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Kochi, Kozhikode, Hyderabad, Tirupathi, Mangalore, Mysore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Doha and Singapore

          Mattala Airport supposed to attract passengers from China, Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Below airlines can serve Mattala : Hainan Airlines, Air Astana, Uzbekistan Airways, Redwings, Azur Air, Skyup, Azerbaijan Airlines, Enter Air, Smart Wings, Hong Kong Airlines, Belavia, Arkia, Georgian Airways, Armenia Airways, Wizzair, S7 Airlines, Flyone, Air Serbia, Flydubai, AirAsia, Iran Airtour, Air Albania, Bulgaria Air

          Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport supposed to focus non-seasonal operators. Below airlines can serve Colombo : Japan Airlines, Air China, Korean Air, China Eastern, Cathay Pacific, Vietnam Airlines, Chongqing Airlines, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Thai AirAsia, Myanmar Airways, AirAsia, Singapore Airlines, Flyscoot, Garuda, Qantas, Biman, Nepal Airlines, Air India, Indigo, PIA, Maldivian, Air Seychelles, Air Mauritius, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian, Egypt Air, Royal Jordanian, Oman Air, Salam Air, Emirates, AirArabia, AirArabia Abu Dhabi, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, Flynas, Saudia, Riyadh Air, Kuwait Airways, Iran Air, British Airways, KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, ITA Airways, Austrian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Aeroflot, Swiss Air, Turkish Airlines, Flydubai, China Southern, EVA Air

          Fitsair better serve below international destinations from Colombo: - Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Dhaka, Ahmedabad, Gaya, Varanasi, Goa, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Trichy, Madurai, Coimbatore, Kochi, Kozhikode, Trivandrum, Male, Gan, Muscat, Karachi, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah, Manila, Yangon, Salalah, Ras Al Khahmah, Madinah and Domestic flights to Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Mattala. Routes better to be codeshare with UL.

          SriLankan Airlines better serve below international destinations from Colombo : Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Dhaka, Kathmandu, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkota, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Kochi, Male', Karachi, Lahore, Muscat, Dubai, Doha, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah, Nairobi, Dar Es Salaam, Entebbe, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Moscow, Rome, Milan, Zurich, Amsterdam, Toronto, New York.

          Ratmalana Airport should be focussing on flight training, business jets and MRO facility for turboprops.

          Comment

          • n863gt
            Senior Member
            • Aug 2024
            • 223

            #13895
            GullivAir operating TLV-CMB-TLV flights.
            IZ640 operating now from CMB-TLV

            edit: apparently this is my 200th post.
            spotting Y-12s and helicopters from my home..

            Comment

            • MAW2000
              Senior Member
              • Aug 2023
              • 249

              #13896
              Originally posted by banuthev

              Thanks for sharing the update !

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

              In my opinion Sri Lanka Airports should be operated by below airlines and destinations.

              Jaffna Airport - Local airline would've connected Jaffna with Chennai, Trivandrum, Trichy, Madurai, Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Kochi, Kozhikode, Hyderabad, Tirupathi, Mangalore, Mysore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Doha and Singapore

              Mattala Airport supposed to attract passengers from China, Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Below airlines can serve Mattala : Hainan Airlines, Air Astana, Uzbekistan Airways, Redwings, Azur Air, Skyup, Azerbaijan Airlines, Enter Air, Smart Wings, Hong Kong Airlines, Belavia, Arkia, Georgian Airways, Armenia Airways, Wizzair, S7 Airlines, Flyone, Air Serbia, Flydubai, AirAsia, Iran Airtour, Air Albania, Bulgaria Air

              Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport supposed to focus non-seasonal operators. Below airlines can serve Colombo : Japan Airlines, Air China, Korean Air, China Eastern, Cathay Pacific, Vietnam Airlines, Chongqing Airlines, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Thai AirAsia, Myanmar Airways, AirAsia, Singapore Airlines, Flyscoot, Garuda, Qantas, Biman, Nepal Airlines, Air India, Indigo, PIA, Maldivian, Air Seychelles, Air Mauritius, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian, Egypt Air, Royal Jordanian, Oman Air, Salam Air, Emirates, AirArabia, AirArabia Abu Dhabi, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, Flynas, Saudia, Riyadh Air, Kuwait Airways, Iran Air, British Airways, KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, ITA Airways, Austrian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Aeroflot, Swiss Air, Turkish Airlines, Flydubai, China Southern, EVA Air

              Fitsair better serve below international destinations from Colombo: - Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Dhaka, Ahmedabad, Gaya, Varanasi, Goa, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Trichy, Madurai, Coimbatore, Kochi, Kozhikode, Trivandrum, Male, Gan, Muscat, Karachi, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah, Manila, Yangon, Salalah, Ras Al Khahmah, Madinah and Domestic flights to Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Mattala. Routes better to be codeshare with UL.

              SriLankan Airlines better serve below international destinations from Colombo : Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Dhaka, Kathmandu, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkota, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Kochi, Male', Karachi, Lahore, Muscat, Dubai, Doha, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah, Nairobi, Dar Es Salaam, Entebbe, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Moscow, Rome, Milan, Zurich, Amsterdam, Toronto, New York.

              Ratmalana Airport should be focussing on flight training, business jets and MRO facility for turboprops.
              Do not get my comment as a negative one, But these destinations and routes are Hypothetical right?

              Comment

              • banuthev
                Administrator
                • Dec 2010
                • 3945

                #13897
                Originally posted by MAW2000

                Do not get my comment as a negative one, But these destinations and routes are Hypothetical right?
                Yes the comment was only hypothetical. I have edited my post to avoid confusion.

                SL Gov should build theme parks and hotels near Mattala Airport and improve the transport facilities. It will be better SL gov soon stretch the railway line from Beliatta>Mattala Airport>Kataragama>Kumana>Arugambay>Batticaloa. So tourists can access the Eastern and Southern attractions easily and quickly by express trains. Mattala Airport have to focus on tourists.

                Comment

                • banuthev
                  Administrator
                  • Dec 2010
                  • 3945

                  #13898
                  Originally posted by n863gt

                  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)
                  4R-ALN was doing engine run near Asiana Airlines Hangar at ICN.

                  Comment

                  • banuthev
                    Administrator
                    • Dec 2010
                    • 3945

                    #13899
                    Originally posted by n863gt
                    Any new information on the to-be 4R-ALU(MSN#1037)?
                    No movement of MSN 1037 after ferried to ISL since 16-Sep-2025. Notsure if its towed to the hangar for paintwork. I tried to get info from local spotters but no luck.
                    I am currently trying to get approval from Ataturk Airport Authorities and Istanbul Police before i fly to Istanbul to take photos of 4R-ALU.

                    Virgin's A330-343 (MSN 1215) ferried to ISL. Do you know if UL interested to lease this aircraft?

                    Comment

                    • banuthev
                      Administrator
                      • Dec 2010
                      • 3945

                      #13900
                      Originally posted by MAW2000

                      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.
                      Thank you, According to below information, LotusAir scheduled to commence in 2026. Is Mr. Peter Hill going to join LotusAir as a CEO ?


                      Found this info from CAPA.



                      About
                      LotusAir Group, d/b/a Lotus Air, is a proposed Sri Lankan domestic carrier to be based in Ratmalana and Mattala. It is a JV project between Ambassador Air Group International LLC (AAGI) and a local Sri Lankan carrier. Lotus Air is backed by USD100 million in start-up capital, and intended to serve 12 destinations in Sri Lanka, including Colombo Ratmalana, Mattala, Palali, Sigiriya, Katharagama and Trincomalee China Bay, before expanding to India and the Maldives. It was expected to launch in 3Q2018, but a revised launch has not been specified.

                      CAPA's Premium Airline Profiles combine our news, data and analysis to provide you with everything you need to know about Lotus Air (Sri Lanka).


                      We at Ambassador Air Group International, LLC (AAGI), a global company based in San Diego, California, aim to expand its global presence and capitalize on the growing tourism industry in Sri Lanka. Our endeavour is to establish LotusAir®, a new airline that offers affordable and innovative travel experiences while showcasing the essence of Sri Lanka.

                      LotusAir® will become one of the safest and most exceptional airlines globally, providing a naturally affordable option to explore the wonders of Sri Lanka. The company prioritizes shareholder returns, job security, and a culture of continuous improvement. The airline plans to operate from Ratmalana International Airport and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, with operations scheduled to commence in 2026.

                      Source : https://ambassadorairgroup.com/

                      Comment

                      • channa
                        Senior Member
                        • May 2013
                        • 230

                        #13901
                        Originally posted by banuthev

                        4R-ALN was doing engine run near Asiana Airlines Hangar at ICN.
                        4R-ALN flying back to CMB as UL 471

                        Comment

                        • Serendib
                          Senior Member
                          • Jan 2011
                          • 1807

                          #13902
                          LOT Polish Airlines highlighted challenges, including engine durability restricting aircraft deployment to some countries, including Sri Lanka. Collaborative marketing with tourism authorities and tour operators to improve route viability to Sri Lanka was also discussed. The airline expressed plans to expand its long-haul fleet by the end of 2026, with Sri Lanka positioned as a high-priority destination for resumption in 2027–28. LOT Polish Airlines currently operates nearly 90 aircraft with over 300 daily departures, carrying approximately 12 million passengers annually.

                          https://www.dailynews.lk/2025/10/17/...-connectivity/

                          Comment

                          • Randula
                            Junior Member
                            • Mar 2025
                            • 19

                            #13903
                            Can anyone confirm this please? Looks like Beijing capital Airlines going to start Colombo service on January 2026 with 2 weekly flights.

                            when UL going to start Beijing capital service? It looks like UL keep postponing resume dates which is quite disappointing! UL should start its 4 x weekly Beijing and Shanghai flights ASAP.
                            You do not have permission to view this gallery.
                            This gallery has 1 photos.
                            Last edited by Randula; 17-10-2025, 04:42 PM.

                            Comment

                            • Farhan Hussain
                              Member
                              • Apr 2023
                              • 70

                              #13904
                              ALQ back in service
                              You do not have permission to view this gallery.
                              This gallery has 1 photos.

                              Comment

                              • Randula
                                Junior Member
                                • Mar 2025
                                • 19

                                #13905
                                Jet star Australia is starting flights from Melbourne to Colombo BIA .
                                Flights starting from 28th AUG 2026, as 3x weekly flights using a B787 Dreamliner with 300 seats. Competition for UL605 and UL607 routes.
                                I wonder why they didn’t introduce a Perth-Colombo flights instead. They might in the future for the remaining days of the week. UL should better start few more routes including Perth, some European destinations (Milan, Rome, Amsterdam) China (Beijing, Shanghai) and Nairobi, Seychelles covering Africa with seamless connections visa versa.

                                Attached Files

                                Comment

                                Working...