SriLankan finalizes A321neo leases with AerCap, ALC

SriLankan Airlines (UL, Colombo Int'l) is planning to convert its existing order for four A350-900s to A330-900s as a part of its restructuring plan, CEO Vipula Gunatilleka told Air Transport World.

Besides the conversion, the carrier also plans to grow its fleet in both the narrowbody and widebody segments.

"Our fleet would grow from current twenty-seven to thirty-four and we would end up by 2023-2024 with nineteen widebody and fifteen narrowbody aircraft," Gunatilleka said.

According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the carrier currently operates thirteen narrowbody aircraft (five A320-200s, two A320-200neo, two A321-200s, and four A321-200neo) and fourteen widebodies (seven A330-200s and seven A330-300s).

The airline's approach towards the A350-900s has been critical for a while. SriLankan initially signed an MoU for four such aircraft in 2013 and then increased the number to eight ordered from Airbus. However, it later cancelled half of the order at a cost of LKR18.8 billion rupees (USD105 million).

The restructuring plan also assumes establishing an intercontinental hub at Colombo Int'l...

Vistara (UK, Delhi Int'l) will reportedly launch its first international flight, from Delhi Int'l to Colombo Int'l, in September 2019, Sri Lanka's Daily News has reported.

The carrier secured a permit to fly internationally in March 2019, having crossed the required threshold of twenty aircraft in its fleet.

Vistara is reportedly planning to fly to Colombo daily using an A320-200neo aircraft.

According to the ch-aviation capacity module, SriLankan Airlines (UL, Colombo Int'l) currently operates 14x weekly between Delhi and Colombo using A320-200s, A320neo, A321-200s, and A321-200neo. Air India (AI, Mumbai Int'l) also operates the route 14x weekly using A320-200 and A321-200 aircraft.

SriLankan Airlines (UL, Colombo Int'l) has adopted a new five-year strategic plan which focuses on establishing Colombo Int'l as a connecting hub between Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia.

As reported by the Sunday Observer, the carrier intends to diversify away from the point-to-point traffic to and from Sri Lanka, which today forms the bulk of its demand. However, SriLankan Airlines plans to continue to cooperate closely with the domestic tourism industry to support the growth of inbound travel to the island.

The plan also envisages unspecified fleet and network adjustments. SriLankan Airlines also intends to improve customer service, cut costs, grow digital sales, and improve productivity.

The carrier also wants to increase the revenues of its subsidiaries SriLankan Cargo, SriLankan Engineering, and SriLankan Ground Handling.

The plan was developed by Group Chief Executive Officer Vipula Gunatilleka and still needs the formal approval of the airline's sole shareholder, the Sri Lankan government.

SriLankan Airlines currently proffers 123,700 weekly seats on 616 scheduled flights, operated with a total of twenty-seven aircraft:...

SriLankan Airlines (UL, Colombo Int'l) Head of Group Legal Affairs Mayuka Ranasinghe told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCOI) in Sri Lanka that the 2013 MoU for ten widebody aircraft from Airbus was placed with a breach in procurement procedures, The Island has reported.

According to Ranasinghe, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth LKR146.1 billion rupees (USD813 million) was authorised by the carrier's non-executive ex-Chairman Nishantha Wickremesinghe. However, the company's procurement rules stipulate that deals in excess of LKR100 billion rupees have to be authorised by the CEO, while the Chairman has no authority to sign contracts on behalf of the airline.

The MoU covered six A330-300s and four A350-900s. The decision to ink the tentative deal was taken during a private meeting at a residence of Chamal Rajapaksa, then Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament and a brother of the country's president.

Subsequently, the contract was changed to cover seven A330-300s and eight A350-900s.

SriLankan Airlines eventually took delivery of all seven A330-300(E)s in 2014 and 2015, including six units...