Sri Lanka Aviation

I completely agree. This airport is turning into an embarrassment. They would have been better served adding additions to BIA so that people would actually see it.

RML and JAF
RML, if GOSL can acquire land for outer circular highway; getting additional land from bankrupt industrial zone is not a problem

HRI is a financial disaster
HRI passenger capacity is 1 million and it handled something below 40,000 per annum. Whereas CMB capacity is 6 million and currently handling over 7.25million. Congestion in CMB Airport is already taking a toll on the passenger comfort levels.

Money should be invested where there is a business. Now CMB has to subsidize HRI operations. This will result in charges in CMB going up. Soon/ I think it is already happening. India is opening its visa controls. CMB will be relegated to a feeder airport. mind you CMB is the most expensive airport in the region.

and they want to convert HRI into a MRO. huh ALE trainee will get the necessary training and will say thank you very much. No ALE would like to live in Hambantota with their families. They will say where are the schools for our kids and soon they get a break in SIN or DXB they will move out. Otherwise wait till the migration paperwork to come from Australia.

Who need marketing for DWC. DWC is built to supplement Jebal Ali Port and DXB. EK is moving most of Cargo operation to DWC.

DXB is already congested they need to service 140 x A380s. DXB cannot expand unless they encroach into Emirate of Sharjah. Object of DWC is when the time come to close DXB. They have another airport to take over.

LOL does he still work for UL?

I think whilst HRI isn't doing as well as expected a bit of publicity cant hurt! IMHO really wish they built a new state of the art airport somewhere in the middle of the island which could've acted as a single hub for all of SL- then built expressways to link all corners of the island with it. But its good to have an alternative airport- even Maldives has Gan Airport.

I am wondering why flightradar24 not showing any movements of 4R-ALH and 4R-ADF since 20-Apr-2014.

SriLankan Airlines's A320 (4R-ABP) flew to Gan Island on 20-Apr-2014 as below. Does anybody know more about this flight? As far as i know UL doesn't operate the revenue flight to Gan Island yet. Someone please confirm.

2014-04-20	Doha (DOH)	Colombo (CMB)	UL4218	-	22:47	-	Landed 03:03	
2014-04-20	Gan Island (GAN)	Doha (DOH)	UL4217	-	15:43	-	Landed 21:23	
2014-04-20	Colombo (CMB)	Gan Island (GAN)	UL4217

Truth is bitter.

SriLankan Airlines signs MRO deal with IndiGo

Looks like MRO facility at HRI getting some business.

Looks like we have quite a few people who watch ITN and Rupavahini on the forum
Why is it so hard to get over the fact that it's a failed project. I can't wait for the newest victim, Rotana Jet to realize the seriousness of the mistake it has made by flying into this deserted airport.

DWC is doing great as a Cargo hub, I don't think they're even trying to attract passenger flights. HRI on the other hand is attracting neither.

Speaking of Gan, any idea how Maldivian is doing in CMB-GAN?

All I'm saying is that its difficult to make a new airport make money becz its not like the GOSL made an extension to BIA.

And in Dubai yes DWC is trying to attract passenger flights too fyi.
However atm its not working so well.
The Dubai authorities did all sorts of arrangements to attract existing PAX operators at DUBAI international to shift to DWC during runway expansion, but most airlines have opted for Sharjah instead.

As far as I can remember CMB used to be literally empty until a few yrs ago.
Even Sharjah airport used to be/is much busier than CMB.
So HRI would naturally take much more to get some amt of people as well. And yes HRI is a failed project no doubt but let them keep trying to popularize HRI.

For a second time, Maldivian terminated the flight service to Colombo effective Summer 2014.

Well - let me give this a try...

My issue with HRI is that is was built for the wrong reasons - political not economic.

Was there a demand for a second International Airport in Sri Lanka? NO!
Is there a business case for HRI? NO!
Can Sri Lanka afford HRI? NO!

The truth is that this (and other) mega projects bring zero benefits to ordinary Sri Lankans. The only people who benefit are a few hired as "Consultants" or who get paid to issue the various permits.

There are plenty of airports in Sri Lanka already. You develop airports as follows:-

Start small and as the market grows you add larger aircraft and expand/improve facilities. That is how most of today's major airports have developed over the years - driven by Economics and not Politics.

These mega projects have bankrupted the country. In case you haven't noticed nobody is lending money to Sri Lanka any more.

SriLankan should be a profitable Airline but politics have once again prevailed. Islamic loans means that they cannot obtain traditional financing. If the published figures are correct - they have enough money to operate until the end of the year. That still leaves them with huge debts that they cannot pay back. Financial figures for 2013/14 will back this up.

There's one word that sums up the whole mess perfectly - Hubris. Look it up.

well on my last visit i saw 3 A340s were been towed to the hanger
One was ADG , but heard one more in the hanger too so tht means 4 A 340s have to be in hanger :/

Probably waiting for a oneworld color upgrade??

First the second airport was mandatory! as in case of BIA closure we don't loose traffic!! BIA can't handle anymore traffic so we needed an other airport wich can handle it! Third No airports are making money within few years! Even BIA needed a plenty of years before it was marketed well in the world! Same thing happened to Linate and Malpensa Airports in Italy but now they are full of traffic! Malpensa airport is in the middle of nowhere connected to the with rail, bus and highway but this happened later when malpensa became interocontinental airport and now it's the main Europe HUB for Easyjet!
My opinion is, give time to time and see the difference! An empty airport today could be a HUB to the world in a near future! Just wait and don't always try to talk bad, because very few people knows the subject in this forum.
Cheers!