Sri Lanka Aviation

Recorrecting,
4R-EXS - MSN 4552 - Y180 - Lessor DVB Bank with a payload restriction.
Other two are correct.
Cabin refurbishment will be started by middle of next year. ( can be changed)
However the Seat supplier is Mirus Aircraft seating. Already checked samples.

No information yet, Will update, but heard they will be coming back to CMB this winter. Just rumors as of now but will update when I have more information.

Seems like during the end of OCT SL will be picking up traffic. Any update on AZUR AIR and Rossiya?
Thanks.

LED-CMB operated by Azur Air B763
Nov : 10,20
Dec : 01,11,22
Jan : 02,12,22
Feb : 02,12,23
Mar : 05,16,26

OVB-HRI operated by Redwings B772
Oct : 30
Nov : 10,20,
Dec : 01,11,22
Jan : 01,12,22
Feb : 02,12,23
Mar : 05,16,26

KUF-HRI operated by Redwings B772
Oct : 29
Nov : 30
Dec : 10
Jan : 11,21
Feb : 22
Mar : 04,15,25

SVX-HRI operated by Redwings B772
Nov : 03,13,24
Dec : 15,25
Jan : 05,15,26
Feb : 05,16
Mar : 09​

I unable to find the flight info for MRV-HRI & ZIA-HRI, KJA-CMB, OVB-CMB, VKO-CMB.
Do you know which airline operated seasonal flights to HRI and CMB last year?

No, but ABL and MRE will be leaving back to their respective lessors next year.

4r alt - 1060, alu - 1037 & alv - 1261 (tbn)
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That A332 (VP-BNX) is going to be delivered to SriLankan Airlines in coming months. Photo taken at Chateauroux airport (France)

SV isnt interested to resume flights back to CMB because of the domination of other gulf carriers such as Emirates, Qatar and Etihad. Most people travelling to RUH stop by in DXB, DOH and AUH or fly direct with Sri Lankan, So SV doesn't currently have the interest to operate back to CMB, its a shame considering SV used to dominate M.E travel back in the days from CMB

KU also hasn't resumed flights to CMB, and I think J9 is substituting for that by increasing frequencies. Hopefully they will come back soon to SL.

WY too excited CMB from March, hopefully they return as well.

Agreed 100%

Also to add a few more airlines to the list, I honestly missed airlines such as Oman Air, Kuwait Airways & Saudia who have stopped ops to CMB on my recent trip to Saudi Arabia having returned a couple of days ago

Currently UL do not serve JED which is a huge inconvenience specially for Umrah pax. I believe they benefited quite a bit on this sector with pilgrims connecting form CGK, MAA, TRZ and COK when they did operate. Puzzles me why they only serve DMM and RUH now

UL does not seem to care of the pilgrim traffic and with Riyadh Air launching soon, they’d definitely be in on the demand from CMB

In terms of the limited options to connect to JED, Tickets too are horribly expensive - we few FlyDubai as we had a very limited handful of options available (fares kept increasing day by day) FZ’s hard product is highly inconsistent with a mix of Max 8’s and 738’s being flown to and from DXB

8D unfortunately does not have the capacity to serve JED however I did see it somewhere that JED, DMK and KUL were their “focus-destinations” which they’d probably launch once they receive their wide-bodies in the near future

As of now the only glimmer of hope in the Sri Lankan Aviation market right now is FitsAir (they are still in their early stages of growth) - what they have archived to date is noteworthy and with Perter Hill at the helm, they would definitely be a force to recon with in the future

4r alt - 1060, alu - 1037 & alv - 1261 (tbn)
​

That A332 (VP-BNX) is going to be delivered to SriLankan Airlines in coming months. Photo taken at Chateauroux airport (France)

​

Thanks for photo and update !
I heard the ex-Virgin A333s are also rumored to join SriLankan Airlines. Can anyone confirm?

According to CAA LK, regulated capacity between Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka is 14 + Dammam Open Skies.
Since UL is currently flying 7 weekly to RUH and going to fly 4 weekly to JED. So already UL is using most of the regulated capacity of 11 flights so there is not much regulated capacity left for SV or RX use/expand into CMB. Please correct me if i am wrong? Didn't Sri Lanka expand the Air Service Agreement with Saudi Arabia?

Country : Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Entry into force : 8-Jun-91
Regulated Capacity : 14, Dammam Open Skies
Last Update 10th August 2020​

https://caa.lk/images/2020/Web_Basa_Update_10Aug2020.pdf​

UL confirms that UL 265 from Colombo to Riyadh safely returned to Colombo as a precautionary measure after encountering a technical issue mid-flight evening 10 October 2024. any idea which aircraft? how many passengers were on board?