Category: Aviation
Sri Lanka Seychelles budget flights from November
Oct 23, 2013 (LBO) – State-run Mihin Lanka will operate twice weekly flights, code-sharing with sister full service carrier, SriLankan Airlines.The flight will start from next month, SriLankan Airlines said. Nishantha Wickremasinghe who is chairman of both airlines said the flights will connect not only Seychelles but the African continent as well. Chief Executive Kapila […]
Sri Lanka Mattala airport duty free to open shortly
Oct 17, 2013 (LBO) – Duty free shopping facilities at Sri Lanka’s Mattala airport may open within two weeks, a top official said.Dufry said in August that it signed a master concessionaire agreement to run all airside duty free space in Mattala.It expected to have 1,000 square feet of space divided between arrival and departure […]
New Airbus A350 on track for 2014: EADS chief
SYDNEY, October 14, 2013 (AFP) – The head of European aerospace giant EADS Monday said its aircraft unit Airbus is on track to deliver the first A350 XWB by the end of next year. The wide-bodied aircraft is the latest passenger jet from Airbus as the Toulouse-based manufacturer ramps up production in a bid to […]
Sri Lankan Airlines leases three A350-900s
Oct 09, 2013 (LBO) – State-run SriLankan Airlines said it had leased three Airbus A350-900 aircraft from US-based International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), as part of a re-fleeting program where another four will be bought directly from the manufacturer. “…[W]e believe that this new generation, fuel-efficient aircraft will play a leading role in the airline’s […]
SriLankan Airlines commissions A320 hangar
Oct 02, 2013 (LBO) – SriLankan Airlines said it had commissioned a new hangar for Airbus A320 aircraft at which will expand facilities to repair and maintain aircraft. The new hangar will also be equipped to perform full strip and paint jobs on narrow body aircraft later. The new hangar, located at the BIA complex […]
Half of British pilots fall asleep on the job: survey
LONDON, September 27, 2013 (AFP) – More than half of Britain’s airline pilots have fallen asleep in the cockpit and a third have woken up to find their co-pilot asleep, according to a new survey.The BALPA survey comes ahead of a vote in the European parliament on Monday on proposals to set out maximum working […]
Air Asia X starts flying to Sri Lanka and Maldives
Sept 24, 2013 (LBO) – Malaysia-based AirAsia X, a low cost long-haul carrier said it is starting flights to Sri Lanka’s Colombo via Male, Maldives from September 28. “Our guests may now fly to Sri Lanka to take in the rich flavours and cultures that Colombo has to offer, and also to Maldives for a […]
Airbus predicts 29,000 new planes needed by 2032
LONDON, September 24, 2013 (AFP) – Airbus predicts that the world will need more than 29,000 new commercial planes over the next 20 years to respond to higher traffic and replace older models, the European planemaker said Tuesday.Delivering its 20-year outlook, Airbus said air travel through 2032 will be fuelled by traffic to and from […]
SriLankan flight diverted over bomb claim
Sept 22, 2013 (LBO) – State-run SriLankan Airlines said its flight to London’s Heathrow airport was diverted to Stansted after a passenger claimed that he had a parcel bomb.The passengers had been transferred by Heathrow by coach. A British national had claimed that he had a bomb on board just as SriLankan’s UK503 was beginning […]
Sri Lankan airlines says to change times or buy tickets quickly
Aug 30, 2013 (LBO) – State-run Sri Lankan Airlines has asked customers to change or buy tickets today as its reservation system, will not be accessible after midnight tonight. The reservation system will come online on September 01 following an upgrade. Passengers who want to buy tickets or change itineraries are being asked to contact […]
Air New Zealand annual profit soars to five-year high
WELLINGTON, August 28, 2013 (AFP) – Air New Zealand posted a 156 percent jump in annual net profit Thursday, the flag carrier’s best result in five years. The airline said net profit for the 12 months to June 30 was NZ2 million (2 million), up from NZ million in the previous year. Chairman John Palmer […]
Singapore firm launches in-flight Muslim prayer app
SINGAPORE, August 13, 2013 (AFP) – A Singapore-based company has launched an iPhone app alerting Muslims when to pray and in which direction they should face even when they’re 35,000 feet in the air.Travellers input the flight details and are provided with prayer times during their journey, as well as the direction of the Muslim […]