Category: Aviation

SINGAPORE, November 6, 2011 (AFP) – Hefty falls in earnings for aviation giants Singapore Airlines and Emirates are the clearest signs yet of fresh turbulence just three years after the 2008 financial crisis wreaked havoc, analysts said. The two companies, regarded as among the industry’s most well-managed carriers, cited escalating fuel expenses and growing unease […]

Oct 29, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s sole international airport will face a capacity crunch soon with passenger traffic exceeding its design capacity by year’s end amid a post-war tourism boom, an airline official said. Another plan under consideration is to expand the terminal into the garden area. The Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) handled 5.26 […]

PANAJI, October 27, 2011 (AFP) – A Dutch charter plane en route to Sri Lanka was forced to abort take-off after a bird flew into one of its engines in the Indian state of Goa, the airline said on Thursday. “The plane hit the bird while it was gathering speed on the runway,” ArkeFly spokeswoman […]

Oct 27, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka and the European Union had inked a deal to lift nationality restrictions placed on EU carriers under existing bi-lateral air service agreements with 15 countries. “The agreement represents an important step towards strengthening aviation relations and enhancing the overall cooperation with Sri Lanka, while encouraging traffic between the […]

HONG KONG, October 26, 2011 (AFP) – Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner made its first commercial flight on Wednesday, giving a handful of deep-pocketed passengers the chance to fly into history on what is touted as an aviation breakthrough. With an average list price of 2 million, the plane is the firm’s first new design in […]

Oct 26, 2011 (LBO) – A brand new Airbus 320 was added to the expanding fleet of Sri Lanka’s national carrier SriLankan Airlines Wednesday, a statement said. The new A320 has a seating configuration of 20 Business Class and 120 Economy Class and is equipped with the latest AVOD (Audio Video- On Demand) inflight entertainment […]

Oct 21, 2011 (LBO) – State-run Sri Lankan Airlines has opened a flight academy commissioning its first Dutch built flight simulator for Airbus A320 aircraft as it ramps up activity as part of the island’s ambitions to become a regional aviation hub. It already has an engineering unit that is attracting third party work. “Today, […]

Oct 19, 2011 (LBO) – Aitken Spence said its freight forwarding unit had bagged the general sales agency for Qatar Airways Cargo in Sri Lanka. In addition to general cargo the airline also has expertise in carrying, livestock, dangerous cargo, vulnerable good and oversized cargo. Aitken Spence Cargo said Qatar Airways takes freight to over […]

Oct 10, 2011 (LBO) – SriLankan Airlines has launched accounts on the Facebook and Twitter social media sites as it adopts new strategies to each customers, the national carrier said in a statement. The airline’s presence in the popular sites will enable customers not only to obtain product and service information of the airline but […]

Oct 01, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Air Force Friday took delivery of two 56 seat twin engine turboprop aircraft from China which could be used for regional civillian passenger applications, an official said. “We haven’t got that far but we are looking at the possibility,” Air Force spokesman Group Captain Andrew Wijesuriya said. The […]

Sept 29, 2011 (LBO) – A SriLankan Airlines aircraft was detained at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris last Friday after it failed to meet European safety standards, an airline statement said. “Arrangements were also made to assist all passengers to continue their onward journeys on other airlines without much delay,” the airline said. Passengers […]

Sept 28, 2011 (LBO) – State-run SriLankan Airlines said it had lost 202 million rupees in the year to March 2011, down from 6.03 billion rupees a year earlier, helped by 3.6 billion rupees in one-off non-operating incomes. “SriLankan will focus on each of its diverse areas of business, with particular emphasis on transforming our […]