Sri Lanka Aviation

But time can be beginning of next year or end of this year. For now, take it as V2500 powered A320/A321 jet.

Nice! Currently below 8D flights are being deployed by two 8D aircraft while the 3rd aircraft is mainly being used for wet-lease ops.

DXB - 7 weekly
DAC - 7 weekly
MLE - 6+3 weekly
KUL - 3 weekly

By the looks 3rd A320 is going to be fully deployed for 8D revenue flights and to help expanding the 8D network to grow with LHE, BKK, & AMD in coming months.

Any chance 4th A320 (probably 4R-EXT?) will be used for wet-lease ops after joining the fleet? or does 8D have plans to use 4R-EXT for its own revenue flights expansion?

How are the pax traffic between Sri Lanka and Mauritius? Any possibility for direct flights in the future?

Any update on Saudia, Vietnam and Ethiopian are starting flights to CMB?

Good morning and Greetings from CMB!
8D will not deploy 3rd aircraft for Wet lease/ACMI operations anymore, all 3 jets will be used for 8D/EXV Revenue service. After 2nd week of March all 3 jets will be operational (4R-EXR is under C check in UL 320 Hangar).
I am not 100% sure that 8D will use 4R-EXT as the 4th aircraft, but as per the sequence it should be 4R-EXT and it will be a high capacity aircraft 😉

I saw a post on social media, that British Airways considering potential return to CMB. Whats your thought on this?

Hi Banu,

Sorry to come to in-between to your conversation :
BA operated and terminated their CMB service twice due to the commercial viability of the sector since BA targets high-end tourists and Corporate and VFR, but UL relies on Sri Lankana Diaspora , VFR and low to mid level tourists due to its lower operating costs.
QF will not operate to CMB anytime soon but JQ will be a direct competitor for UL (As we know MLE, SYD are UL's highest profitable routes) leading dilution of yield of the sector and making more options to choose for cutomers.
As far as my knowledge and some intel from UL, UL is looking for double daily frequency to MEL and Daily to SYD, but only the constraint is Aircraft availability.

SriLankan Airlines struggles to secure 7 needed jets

SriLankan Airlines (UL, Colombo International) requires at least seven additional aircraft to rationalise its network and open new routes, though global supply shortages are hampering efforts to secure these units, according to deputy minister of ports and civil aviation Janitha Ruwan Kodituwakku.

Speaking to local outlet Daily Mirror, Kodituwakku stated that the state-owned carrier needs "at least one or two [aircraft] immediately" but noted that securing dry leases remains difficult due to high market demand. In the coming weeks, the government plans to launch a "special procurement process" to resolve the availability issue.

Chairman Sarath Ganegoda said, given SriLankan Airlines' current fleet size, that diversifying into manufacturers other than Airbus would not be feasible. Currently, the entire fleet of the airline is dry-leased.

ch-aviation fleets data shows that the carrier operates a 23-strong, all-Airbus fleet, comprising seven A320-200s, two A320-200Ns, four A321-200Ns, three A330-200s, and seven A330-300s. It has a standing commitment for four A350-900s, but has long been open about plans to cancel this order and is not expected to take deliveries of the aircraft.

Ganegoda told The Sunday Morning newspaper that the airline aims to introduce new routes and increase frequencies on existing services where it does not currently operate daily.

Separately, Kodituwakku confirmed that the government is currently shortlisting applications for the airline's chief executive position.

Domestic flights from BIA to Palali soon: Civil Aviation Minister

Domestic flights from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and Palali Airport will begin once the expansion of the latter is completed, Minister of Ports and Aviation Anura Karunathilaka said recently. “Those who reside in the North are compelled to travel by road when they arrive at BIA from abroad currently. However, it will be a thing of the past once the expansion of Palali Airport is completed. There will be a domestic airline service connecting Palali Airport and BIA,” the Minister told media.

He said Palali Airport will be able to handle large aircraft once the expansion is fully completed. “International flights will be operational from Palali once the runway is expanded,” he added. He said first phase of the expansion of the Palali Airport will be completed by July this year.

Usual Statement😒

Hi All,

Any info on recently mentioned 2 RFPs of UL for 2 narrowbody Jets? and the status of 4R-ANE and 4R-ANF ?

Colombo Airport Schedule Flight Information - March 2026

• *Batik Air Malaysia to resume KUL-CMB flights from 30-March-2026. To be operated 4 weekly onboard B737.
• *Fits Air is planning to operate additional two flights to Dubai in March 2026;
• *Air China is reducing the frequency of CTU-CMB flights from 7 weekly to 5 weekly in March 2026;
• *Air Seychelles is reducing SEZ-CMB flights from 2 weekly to 1 weekly in March 2026. Operated by A320neo. I see 2nd weekly operating on the 15-Mar-2026.
• *Jazeera Airways is reducing KWI-CMB flights from 7 weekly to 6 weekly in March 2026;
• *Capital Airlines is reducing PKX-CMB flights from 2 weekly to 1 weekly in March 2026;
• *Air Astana reduced ALA-CMB flights recently from 2 weekly to 1 weekly;
• *SriLankan Airlines is reducing CMB-KTM flights from 4 weekly to 3 weekly; Any reason for frequency reduction?
• *SriLankan Airlines Head of Commercial Dimuthu Tennakoon announced SriLankan Airlines is going to fly Colombo - Ahmedabad flights. Any details of the flight schedule?
• *Malaysian Airlines is going to increase KUL-CMB flights from 03-April-2026. Any details of frequency and aircraft to be used?
• *Fits Air is planning to increase CMB-DAC flights to 7 weekly from 15 March 2026;. Operated 5/6 weekly recently.
• *Singapore Airlines to replace A359 with B787 for the day time flights in March 2026;
• *Salam Air is using B737MAX for MCT-CMB flights. Any info?

Can anyone add in our forum if any new flights services missed in the below table?

A/L	DEST	VIA	FLTS PER WEEK IN FEB26	FLTS PER WEEK IN MAR26	FREQ VARIATION
3L	AUH	---	5	5	0
3Z	WAW	MCT	1	1	0
6E	BLR	---	14	14	0
6E	BOM	---	7	7	0
6E	HYD	---	6	6	0
6E	MAA	---	27	27	0
8D	DAC	---	5	7	2
8D	DXB	---	7	9	2
8D	KUL	---	3	3	0
8D	LHE	---	0	0	0
8D	MLE	---	9	9	0
AI	BOM	---	7	7	0
AI	DEL	---	14	14	0
AK	KUL	---	14	14	0
CA	TFU	---	7	5	-2
CX	HKG	---	7	7	0
EK	DXB	---	21	21	0
EK	DXB	MLE	7	7	0
EY	AUH	---	27	27	0
FD	DMK	---	10	10	0
FZ	DXB	---	21	21	0
FZ	DXB	MLE	7	7	0
G9	SHJ	---	20	20	0
GF	BAH	MLE	9	9	0
HM	SEZ	---	3	1	-2
IZ	TLV	---	0	0	0
J9	KWI	---	7	6	-1
JD	PKX	---	2	1	-1
KC	ALA	---	2	1	-1
KU	KWI	---	4	4	0
MH	KUL	---	7	7	0
MU	KMG	---	7	7	0
MU	PVG	---	7	7	0
OD	KUL	---	0	4	4
OQ	CKG	---	3	3	0
OQ	MLE	---	3	3	0
OV	MCT	---	6	6	0
QR	DOH	---	35	35	0
SQ	SIN	---	10	10	0
SU	SVO	---	3	3	0
TG	BKK	---	7	7	0
TK	IST	---	10	10	0
UL	BKK	---	14	14	0
UL	BLR	---	10	10	0
UL	BOM	---	14	14	0
UL	CAN	---	4	4	0
UL	CDG	---	3	3	0
UL	CGK	---	7	7	0
UL	COK	---	7	7	0
UL	DAC	---	7	7	0
UL	DEL	---	14	14	0
UL	DMM	---	7	7	0
UL	DOH	---	7	7	0
UL	DXB	---	11	11	0
UL	FRA	---	3	3	0
UL	FRA	CDG	0	0	0
UL	GAN	---	2	2	0
UL	HYD	---	5	5	0
UL	ICN	---	2	2	0
UL	IXM	---	6	6	0
UL	KHI	---	4	4	0
UL	KTM	---	4	3	-1
UL	KUL	---	14	14	0
UL	KWI	---	7	7	0
UL	LHE	---	4	4	0
UL	LHR	---	9	9	0
UL	MAA	---	21	21	0
UL	MEL	---	7	7	0
UL	MLE	---	21	21	0
UL	NRT	---	4	4	0
UL	RUH	---	7	7	0
UL	SIN	---	14	14	0
UL	SYD	---	4	4	0
UL	TRV	---	4	4	0
UL	TRZ	---	8	8	0
WK	ZRH	---	2	2	0

Aircraft Movements at CMB by hour

FEBRUARY 2026
TIME	TOTAL WEEKLY FLIGHT ARRIVAL PER WEEK	TOTAL WEEKLY FLIGHT DEPATURE PER WEEK	TOTAL WEEKLY ARRIVAL + DEPARTURE FLIGHTS PER WEEK
00	25	46	71
01	13	46	59
02	28	25	53
03	31	17	48
04	2	36	38
05	35		35
06	28	6	34
07	7	50	57
08	45	28	73
09	29	32	61
10	26	16	42
11	56	17	73
12	15	28	43
13	15	40	55
14	2	32	34
15	41	2	43
16	33	24	57
17	40	29	69
18	12	55	67
19	15	17	32
20	10	26	36
21	43	20	63
22	48	27	75
23	35	15	50
Grand Total	634	634	1268
MARCH 2026
TIME	TOTAL WEEKLY FLIGHT ARRIVAL PER WEEK	TOTAL WEEKLY FLIGHT DEPATURE PER WEEK	TOTAL WEEKLY ARRIVAL + DEPARTURE FLIGHTS PER WEEK
00	25	45	70
01	16	46	62
02	28	29	57
03	29	18	47
04	2	34	36
05	35		35
06	28	6	34
07	7	50	57
08	45	28	73
09	29	32	61
10	26	16	42
11	56	17	73
12	15	28	43
13	15	39	54
14	2	32	34
15	41	2	43
16	31	23	54
17	39	29	68
18	12	54	66
19	16	16	32
20	9	26	35
21	42	20	62
22	47	25	72
23	35	15	50
Grand Total	630	630	1260

​

Is Saudia going to fly nonstop flights between Jeddah and Colombo from 01 May or 01 June ?

I believe this is a planned schedule :-

JED-CMB - SV838 - 03:15-11:45 - B787 - MON.FRI
CMB-JED - SV839 - 18:40-22:40 - B787 - MON.FRI

The flight number showed above is currently being used for SV flights between JED and MLE.

Please confirm.

Fits Air is listing Ahmedabad on its website. Launch date seems to be 14-Apr-2026. Fits Air is planning to operate to AMD every Tue, Fri & Sun. Flight Booking & Schedule is not available yet.

Any idea if there is a sufficient pax & cargo demand between Colombo and Ahmedabad?