Sri Lanka Aviation

So Mihin is replacing a 13.5 years old 320 with a 9.5 years old 321.

Progress, I would say, even though this does not negate the overall irrelavance of Mihin.

4R-ALJ undergoing IFE installation and Cabin Work. Likely in September 2012 she will pull the first revenue flight.

Only Seven or Eight UL aircraft have got new IFE in Economy Class : 4R-ALG, 4R-ALJ,, 4R-ADF, 4R-ABM, 4R-ABN, 4R-ABO and 4R-ABP. I'am not sure about 4R-ADG (ex-CX) but 4R-ALH has no IFE in Economy Class.

@ Kflyer - Thanks I have corrected the post.

Yes Cayman. MJ would have leased a younger airframe.

A321 is a good selection for the current small fleet. Hope they add more A321s and start expanding their regional network soon.

Don't the other older A330s (4R-ALA/ALB/ALC) have inflight systems for economy. As in those small screens. As well as the A340s (4R-ADA/B/C)??

Does 4R-ALG have the newer flatscreen AVOD system or the old small screens in economy? There are some pictures on SriLankans FB page showing an A330 installed with the flat bads, but the economy cabin had the old small screens.

UL & MJ need new planes; they must focus on Air Australia.

Air Australia is an airline flying domestic and international flights. based in Australia.

Air Australia halted all flights and was placed into voluntary administration on 17 February 2012.

The airline owed creditors up to $90 million but had only $1 million in assets as much of its equipment was leased.

The airline is "not saleable" and will go into liquidation.

On 24 March 2012, the creditors voted to place Air Australia into liquidation.

Air Australia Fleet

3 – Airbus A320

2 – Airbus A330

I am not sure if this is the right choice for UL.

Their A320s are pretty antiquated; 1991 and 1993 production!

Their A330 has PW engines, and not compatible with rest of the Trent powered UL A330 fleet.

Heard MJ gonna give away MRB to UL?? Is that true

y wud UL take a A320 that is over 10 years old and hav no Inflight entertainment system lyk 4R-MRB?

For all the people who were talking about Protectionism and all the Virgin Atlantic stuff not being allowed on the CMB-UK route...here you go...British Airways back in Colombo via Gatwick from March 2013..........

We all know that “protecting the national carrier” is the mantra of Governments past and present where they make stupid short sighted decisions all of which have prevented Colombo developing as a hub.

It’s a fact they have always restricted the number of flights different carriers are allowed per week into CMB.

It’s also a fact that ground handling and catering services are only permitted to be operated by SriLankan airlines. UL’s honchos openly say they want to keep their monopoly and call it “good business”.

If BA wants to up the number of flights to 7 a week will they be allowed? If Virgin wants to join the party will they be allowed?

I’ll admit when I read this news item I was surprised because BA will rip into ULs profit margins as currently offer a better service than UL does. All in all this is a good move. It means competition for UL and UL will have to up their service and quality to COMPETE.

Maintaining an idiot monopoly on routes and services is like subsidies and GSP+, it artificially maintains/buttresses a business. In the case of UL it has meant that UL can offer a rubbish service and think they can get away with it because they have a “guaranteed” customer base.

If Colombo is to be major/gigantic hub:

There needs to be

A) Major development and expansion of the terminal. That new Terminal needs to be built fast. The plans/noise for this new passenger terminal was made in 2010 and still the ever auspicious foundation stone has not even been laid. Having looked at the pictures of the planned design it’s not that impressive when compared to some of the up and coming South Indian airports. Might cost more but a uniquely designed, large structure with an incorporated shopping complex slap bang in the terminal is a worthy investment.

B) An end to ULs monopoly on ground handling and catering plus allowing airlines as many frequencies into Colombo as they want/the airport can handle.

More planes = more passengers = more revenue = more growth = even more revenue = even more growth = Hub status.

More planes = more passengers = more tourists = more revenue for the country

Arriving in Colombo (for both transit and non-transit passengers) needs to be a “wow” experience, which will want them to travel through Colombo again and be looking forward to it. Currently Colombo airport is an UGLY mess, especially departures. All I know is all the way from the taxi drop off onto the plane I’m standing in a queue and just want OUT of the Airport.

I am not sure if the proposed BA flight would be a real competetion to UL;

1. BA flight originates at LGW, as opposed to the UL flight that originates @LHR.
2. UL flight is direct, whereas the proposed BA flight is via MLE.

True enough, but some competition is needed.
I know many people who simply use UL because no one else does the direct option, if they have an alternative they'd take it. (Of course this is via Male, but it's not like thats a significant detour).

The "high end spenders" from the UK will also use this.

Personally i doubt BA will keep this operation going for long. But competition is needed, no matter how weak it is.

Y Class IFE is available on all of the A340 fleet and all of the A330 fleet except ALH.

I think you are reading this right. This clearly looks like a half hearted effort by BA to test the waters.

If they wanted to compete with UL genuinely, they could have started a non-stop LHR-CMB-LHR service instead of this 'Thomas Cook -like' approach to haul travellers on a budget to sun and sands.

Sri Lankan airlines to boost flight training capacity with second simulator

August 05, 2012 (LBO) – State run Sri Lankan airlines is to take delivery of a new Dutch built A330 flight simulator early next year increasing the airline's capacity to offer flight simulator services to regional carriers, the airline said.

The new flight simulator will help train more pilots in the operation of wide-bodied Airbus A330 aircraft and provide advanced flight training services to airlines in India, Maldives, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

"There is a huge dearth of pilots in the region and we see a lot of potential for flight training in the subcontinent," Captain Druvi Perera, chief operations officer, Sri Lankan airlines said.

"We are discussing with two airlines and a training organization to offer our flight training courses," he said.

The A330 simulator is estimated to cost 13 million dollars and is likely to be bought on a ten year lease from Netherlands based SIM Industries, now part of US based Lockheed Martin, an aerospace, defence and security technology company.

The airline said the simulator certified for 'Level D' standard is identical to that of an actual aircraft and can artificially re-create aircraft flight, different weather conditions including air density, turbulence, cloud and precipitation.

The device can also simulate critical failures and adverse conditions.

The A330 simulator will be jointly marketed in the region by SriLankan airlines and Lockheed Martin for the training of pilots in the operation of Airbus A330 aircraft, Sri Lankan airlines said.

Sri Lankan airlines will be offering entire training courses including ground and simulator training with A320 and A330 type ratings.

The market rate for hourly training on a full flight simulator is between 375 to 450 dollars, the airline said.

A pilot usually gets around twenty two sessions or 90 hours on the simulator.


The A320 flight simulator installed at the airline's flight training school last year has helped to double the intake of cadet pilots, cut training costs and time Perera said.
Currently Sri Lankan airlines, budget carrier Mihin Lanka and third parties use the A320 simulator to train their pilots.

The device has a database of over thirty airports.

"We have the capacity to train about thirty cadet pilots a year and cut costs by around fifty percent by having a simulator here," the carrier's chief operations officer Captain Druvi Perera said.

"The time saved is around two to three months," he said.

Sri Lankan airlines said pilots mostly trained in Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, Hongkong, Bahrain and India before the A320 simulator was installed.

With the delivery of the A330 simulator, the transition of a pilot from one aircraft to another aircraft will be easier, Sri Lankan airlines said.

http://www.lbo.lk/fullstory.php?nid=1161866534

Is the $13 million the lease cost (over 10 years) or the actual cost of the simulator? Doubt a simulator is that cheap.

Any chance this unofficial confirmation that the the Boeing 777 deal is off?
Makes the most sense to stick to Airbus aircraft.