Category: Aviation

June 20, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lankan Airlines had signed a deal with Airbus to buy four A350-900 and six A330-300 aircraft, powered by Rolls Royce engines in the first phase of replacing its aging long haul fleet. “The winning combination of A330s and A350 XWB will allow SriLankan Airlines to offer the highest levels […]

June 19, 2013 (LBO) – State-run SriLankan Airlines said it is offering mobile check-in and access to its loyalty program and other services for customers with smartphones.A mobile application developed with Virtusa Corporation, a software firm, allows passengers to select their seats and check up to two hours before departure. “Customers are increasingly accepting high-tech […]

LE BOURGET, June 18, 2013 (AFP) – Boeing launched a bigger version of its next-generation Dreamliner plane at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday with over 100 orders and a clear message — after a run of technical blows, the US firm is back on track.NAC has a fleet of slightly more than 100 ATR […]

LONDON, June 18, 2013 (AFP) – British no-frills airline easyJet on Tuesday announced a deal to purchase 135 Airbus single-aisle A320 passenger planes, including 100 new generation neo aircraft for $11.9 billion (8.9 billion euros), after agreeing sizeable discounts. “Ultimately, Airbus offered us the best deal, and at a price with a greater discount to […]

June 12, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Cinnamon Air, a domestic carrier operating Cessna 208 amphibians said will begin scheduled flight to the South of the island and Kandy in the central hills from the end of June. Daily flights to Koggala and Dickwelle will be from Dandugama Oya waterdrome which is 10 minutes away […]

KUALA LUMPUR, June 10, 2013 (AFP) – Malaysian long-haul budget carrier AirAsia X said Monday it plans to use proceeds from a public listing to more than triple its fleet in the next four years to meet demand in Asia-Pacific.Aviation tycoon Tony Fernandes said the long-haul arm of budget giant AirAsia hopes to raise up […]

May 24, 2013 (LBO) – Dubai-based Emirates Airlines said it is increasing frequencies to Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo by three a week to 31, to cope with rising demand. “The demand for seats on the Colombo Dubai sector is increasing, and these additional flights will enable more UK and USA bound passengers to connect with […]

May 10, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will tender a concession to operate a duty free shopping complex in the newly opened Mattala airport, aviation minister Priyankara Jayaratne said, in a move that could draw more passengers to the destination. “I have instructed officials to call for tenders to set up the duty free shops […]

May 09, 2013 (LBO) – Travel agents said they have stopped issuing tickets on Air Arabia, a UAE based budget carrier, in the Sharjah to Mattala sector, after the airline halted flights to the new airport.Aviation ministry secretary Ravindra Ruberu said flights have been temporarily suspended but they are likely to resume by August. Air […]

May 8, 2013 (LBO) – State-run SriLankan Airlines said it carried 101,000 tonnes of freight in the year to March 2013, up 15 percent from a year earlier, the highest since 2008.SriLankan said it manages a 20,000 square meter cargo centre in Katunayake and 5,000 square feet facility at Mattala airport. The airline said revenues […]

May 05, 2013 (LBO) – State-run SriLankan Airilines said it had signed up Wirecard, a German payment gateway operator which will make online bookings faster and safer, as part of moves to join oneoworld, a global alliance of carriers. Wirecard provides payment processing, card issuing and risk management services to more than 10,000 companies worldwide. […]

Apr 29, 2013 (LBO) – State-run SriLankan Airlines expects to boost freight volumes especially on long haul flights as well as cut running costs, with the acquisition of 13 wide-body Airbus aircraft, chief executive Kapila Chandrasena said.In the year to March 2012, SriLankan’s passenger factor rose to 79.1 percent from 76.7 percent a year earlier, […]