Category: Shipping and Transport

December 22, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka plans to float a state-run no frills airline, the government said Friday, to fly to the Middle East and neighbouring Asian countries. The budget carrier, Mihin Air, is expected to cost around 1.5 billion rupees with the government initial setting aside 500 million rupees as working capital, director […]

Dec 18, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse Monday kicked off a million dollar project to expand the Colombo port, which will triple existing capacity and enable it to service larger vessels in the future. The 1.2 billion dollar project, the largest port development undertaken so far, will add four terminals, each with […]

Dec 01 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s export and import trade are to be slapped with higher terminal handling charges from January, shipping lines calling on the Colombo port said in a public notice on Friday. The India Pakistan Bangladesh Ceylon Conference (IPBCC) a grouping of about 19 shipping lines, said that they were revising rates […]

Nov 27, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Ports Authority has signed a terminal service agreement with Wan-Hai lines of Taiwan to increase container traffic to the island.The three-year Terminal Service Agreement (TSA) will bring in a guaranteed amount of volume for the SLPA, says Irshad Musheen Executive Director of SLPA. “We are actually pleased as […]

Nov 20, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has concluded talks with the Asian Development Bank for an additional 90 million dollars to expand the country’s Southern expressway, Treasury Secretary PB Jayasundera said Monday. The government wants to boost the government’s infrastructure investment to five percent of Gross Domestic Product over the next few years, Jayasundera […]

SINGAPORE, Nov 10, 2006 (AFP) – Costs, not competition, worry Tony Fernandes of AirAsia Bhd, who said Friday he foresees continued expansion for the Malaysian-based lowcost pioneer. “The only thing that we worry about is our cost,” said Fernandes, the airline’s group chief executive. “There can be a hundred low cost carriers out there. It […]

TOULOUSE, France, Nov 9, 2006 (AFP) – As rain clouds gather over European aircraft maker Airbus, the giant plane at the root of its problems is set to jet off on for a tour of the Asia region next Monday for a final round of technical tests.EADS, or the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, […]

SINGAPORE, Nov 9, 2006 (AFP) – Asia should further liberalise its airline industry to unleash the region’s full growth prospects or risk losing billions in unrealised potential, industry experts said Thursday.“Often they are liberalisation’s biggest winners,” said Herdman. “We must ensure that the regulatory framework keeps pace with industry needs.” “We need one more revolution […]

November 6, 2006 (LBO) – Dubai’s Emirate Airlines Monday reported a steady profit growth as the carrier flew more passengers and carried more cargo to offset historically high fuel prices. For the six months ended Sept 30, net profit was up 29 percent to 323 million dollars over the same period last year. Emirates’ operating […]

Nov 01 (LBO) – SriLankan Airlines said Thursday that it would launch a regional charter service carrying cargo to South Asia, even reaching destinations not connected by scheduled flights. SriLankan Cargo currently offers scheduled services to 50 destinations in 28 countries, serviced by dedicated freighters and 14 mainline Airbus Aircraft. With the new service, businesses […]

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1, 2006 (AFP) – Piracy declined globally this year, but Chittagong in Bangladesh was now the world’s most dangerous port, with a rise in piracy there and in some other key hotspots, a watchdog said Wednesday.The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) recorded 174 attacks on the high seas in the first nine months […]

Oct 31, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka plans to throw open the aviation corridor along the southern and eastern coast of the island for commercial traffic from next month, officials said Tuesday. As part of the ‘Ruhunu Open Skies’ policy which kicks off from Nov 19, authorities also plan to open up the skies for […]