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SriLankan Airlines
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{{short description|Flag carrier of Sri Lanka}}{{more citations needed|date = July 2022}}{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}







factoids
| logo = SriLankan Airlines Logo.svg| logo_size = 280| IATA = UL| ICAO = ALK| callsign = SRILANKANAir Lanka)THIEDEMANTITLE=A FOUNDATION IN THE SKYACCESS-DATE=11 MAY 2018DATE=7 DECEMBER 1997, Colombo–Bandaranaike}}| frequent_flyer = FlySmiLes| alliance = Oneworld| subsidiaries = WEBSITE=SRILANKAN AIRLINES, 6 December 2023, List of SriLankan Airlines destinations>35SRILANKAN AIRLINES FLIGHT ROUTES>URL=HTTPS://WWW.SRILANKAN.COM/EN_UK/PLAN-AND-BOOK/FLIGHT-ROUTES-REVAMP, Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, Sri LankaHTTPS://WWW.SRILANKAN.COM/EN_UK/FLYING-WITH-US/CONTACT-USWEBSITE=SRILANKAN.COMQUOTE=HEAD OFFICE SRILANKAN AIRLINES LTD., AIRLINE CENTRE, BANDARANAIKE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, KATUNAYAKE, SRI LANKA., www.srilankan.com}}Ashok Pathirage (Chairman) Chief Executive Officer>CEO)}}| parent = Ministry of Ports, Shipping and AviationSri Lankan rupee>Rs 365.171 billion (2023)| operating_income = {{positive increase}} Rs 40.743 billion (2023)red|−73.621}} billion (2023)| assets = {{increase}} Rs 199.45 billion (2023)red|−509.174}} billion (2023)| num_employees = {{decrease}} 5,440 (2023)}}SriLankan Airlines (formerly known as Air Lanka) is the flag carrier of Sri Lanka and a member airline of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is currently(as at 2024 April),the largest airline in Sri Lanka by number of aircraft and destinations and was launched in 1979 as Air Lanka following the termination of operations of the original Sri Lankan flag carrier Air Ceylon.Following its partial acquisition in 1998 by Emirates, it was re-branded and the current livery was introduced. In 2008, the government of Sri Lanka acquired all the shares of the airline from Emirates.WEB,weblink Emirates walking away from SriLankan, Nicholas, Ionides, 22 January 2008, Flightglobal.com, 15 April 2019, After ending the Emirates partnership, it retained its re-branded name and logo.NEWS,weblink Sri Lankan Airlines buys back 43.6 pc stake from Emirates, The Economic Times, 24 April 2015, SriLankan Airlines operates over 560 flights per week across Asia.SriLankan Airlines joined the Oneworld airline alliance on 1 May 2014.WEB, Our Airline,weblink Srilankan, 11 January 2016,

History

Air Lanka

File:Boeing 747-238B, AirLanka AN1108765.jpg|thumb|An Air Lanka Boeing 747-200B at London Gatwick AirportLondon Gatwick AirportFile:Lockheed L-1011-385-3 TriStar 500, AirLanka AN0846883.jpg|thumb|An Air Lanka Lockheed L-1011 TriStar at Zurich AirportZurich AirportIn 1979, after the removal of airline manager Nimesh Fernando, Sri Lanka's president Jayawardene initially did not interfere after entrusting the airline to Captain Rakitha Wickramanayake and the board of directors consisting of industry officials and managers. The former Prime Minister of Singapore asked, "How could an airline pilot run an airline?" A 1986 Presidential Commission reported on the mismanagement of the Board of the airline. Under President Wijetunga's appointment of a retired General as Chairman/MD with Air Vice Marshals and a UNP attorney as executive directors. None of them knew how to run an airline.WEB, 2016-04-09, SriLankan Airlines: A Tale Of State Abuse & Mismanagement,weblink 2021-12-28, Colombo Telegraph, en-US, Air Lanka was established as the flag carrier of Sri Lanka once the government shut down the bankrupt Air Ceylon.NEWS,weblink The pioneering Air Ceylon days, Financial Times, 23 December 2015, 24 September 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150924042959weblink">weblink dead, Air Lanka's initial fleet consisted of two Boeing 707, leased from Singapore Airlines. One Boeing 737 was leased from Maersk Air and maintained by Air Tara. On 24 April 1980, the lease ended; Air Lanka received a replacement Boeing 737 leased from Royal Brunei. On 1 November 1980, Air Lanka commenced wide-body operations which were leased Lockheed L1011-1 Tristar from Air Canada.On 15 April 1982, Air Lanka purchased an L1011 Tristar from All Nippon Airways. Another L1011 was leased from Air Canada whilst a third was purchased from All Nippon. With the introduction of Tristar aircraft, the Boeing 707 were phased out. On 1 May 1982, HAECO took over the maintenance of the two Air Lanka-owned Tristars, while Air Canada maintained two leased Tristars.On 28 March 1980, Air Lanka signed a purchase agreement for two brand new Lockheed L1011-500 Tristars, the most advanced wide-body aircraft in the world at that time. The first Lockheed L1011-500 (4R-ULA) was accepted on 26 August 1982, at Palmdale, California. It was flown to Amsterdam as UL flight 566P. On 28 August, 4R-ULA "City of Colombo" left for its inaugural flight from Amsterdam to Colombo as UL566. It reached Colombo on 29 August. This was followed by the second Lockheed L1011-500, 4R-ULB, "City of Jayawardanapura". On 8 June 1984 the airline received its first Boeing 747-200B "King Vijaya" and the second joined later. The aircraft were used on flights to Europe and a few flights to southeast Asia. However they were retired in 1987. In 1994, Air Lanka became the Asian Launch Customer of the Airbus A340-300.

Rebranding

File:Airbus A340-311, SriLankan Airlines JP7350620.jpg|thumb|A now-retired SriLankan Airlines A340-300.]]Air Lanka, which was state-owned, was partially privatized in 1998, with investment by Dubai-based Emirates Group, when Emirates and the Sri Lankan government signed an agreement for a ten-year strategic partnership. This agreement included exclusive rights for all aircraft ground handling and airline catering at Colombo-Bandaranaike airport for ten years. Emirates bought a 40% stake worth US$70 million (which it later increased to 43.6%) in Air Lanka and sought to refurbish the airline's image and fleet. The government retained a majority stake in the airline but gave full control to Emirates for investment and management decisions. In 1998, Air Lanka re-branded to SriLankan Airlines."World Airline Directory." Flight International. 14–20 March 1990 International" 57.SriLankan acquired 6 Airbus A330-200s to complement its fleet of Airbus A340-300 and A320-200 aircraft. The A330-200 aircraft joined the airline between October 1999 and July 2000. The company's fourth A340-300 arrived at Colombo painted in the airline's new corporate livery. SriLankan upgraded its existing A340 fleet into a two-class configuration (business and economy class) whilst overhauling the interior to reflect the new corporate image.The airline gradually increased its number of destinations with more additions for regional markets, notably India and the Middle East. Whilst continuing expansion in the region, SriLankan commenced flying to Jeddah, its third destination in Saudi Arabia, after Riyadh and Dammam, thus increasing the number of destinations in the Middle East to nine. Jeddah became the airline's 51st destination overall.In 2008, Emirates notified the Sri Lankan Government that it would not renew its management contract,NEWS,weblink Emirates walking away from SriLankan, Reed Business Information, 24 April 2015, which then expired on 31 March 2008. It claimed that the Sri Lankan Government was seeking greater control over the day-to-day management of the airline.Management contract terminated {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080128143940weblink |date=28 January 2008 }} January 2008, OAG, News briefing Emirates sold its 43.63% stake in the airline back to the Government of Sri Lanka in a deal that was finalized in 2010, thus ending their partnership.Sri Lanka Buys Emirates’ Stake in SriLankan Airlines {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710231520weblink |date=10 July 2010 }} Anusha Ondaatjie and Asantha Sirimanne, BusinessWeek, 7 July 2010.

Modern era

File:SriLankan Airlines AirTaxi - panoramio (edited).jpg|thumb|A DHC-6 Twin Otter floatplaneDHC-6 Twin Otter floatplaneIn 2008 when Emirates pulled out, the accumulated profit of SriLankan was Rs. 9.288 billion in that financial year. From 2008 to 2015, when the government ran it, the loss for the seven years was Rs. 128.238 billion (US$875 million).WEB,weblink Sri Lanka's loss-making carrier seeks foreign partner, The Daily Star, April 2016, 2016-04-01, WEB,weblink From paradise to hell: The inside story of how SriLankan Airlines was skyjacked and plundered {{!, The Sunday Times Sri Lanka|website=sundaytimes.lk|access-date=2016-04-01}}Following the ownership transfer, SriLankan began promoting Colombo as a hub for flights to Asia.WEB,weblink Consolidating Colombo, Sri Lanka as an aviation hub, 24 April 2015, 3 April 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150403045313weblink">weblink dead, The first destination of the expansion plan was Shanghai; the route was initiated on 1 July 2010.Sri Lankan Airlines to fly to Shanghai {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513141210weblink |date=13 May 2010 }}, LBO, 10 May 2010 The airline commenced flights to Guangzhou on 28 January 2011.SriLankan Airlines expands fleet, plans new destinations {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125073926weblink |date=25 November 2010 }} LBO, 20 July 2010SriLankan joined the Oneworld alliance on 1 May 2014. During 2014 it started to renew and increase its fleet, with purchases of Airbus A330 and A350 models. Currently, SriLankan operates an all-Airbus fleet except for its discontinued Air-Taxi services.NEWS, Weliamuna Report recommends criminal prosecution of SriLankan Chairman, CEO,weblink 14 April 2018, Government of Sri Lanka, news.lk, 4 April 2015, SriLankan retired their last Airbus A340-300 on 7 January 2016 with its last scheduled flight from Chennai to Colombo.The airline terminated three European routes – Frankfurt, Paris and Rome – by the end of 2016. On 2020, the Frankfurt and Paris routes were resumed.NEWS,weblink SriLankan Airlines to resume Frankfurt and Paris services, ch-aviation, 2020-01-27, 26 July 2022, The airline absorbed the operations of sister carrier Mihin Lanka in October 2016, in a bid to create a single stronger national airline for Sri Lanka. Accordingly, SriLankan took over two of Mihin Lanka's aircraft and absorbed its route network, adding ten new destinations to SriLankan's route network.In October 2017, SriLankan launched direct daily non-stop flights to Melbourne, Australia, its first new long-haul route in over five years and the most ambitious expansion to date. The flights restore a regular direct air link between Australia and Sri Lanka after a hiatus of sixteen years.WEB,weblink The Sunday Leader Online - Spotlight, thesundayleader.lk, 2017-10-30, 14 August 2021,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20210814100822weblink">weblink dead, This route has proved particularly popular and has been responsible with increased numbers of Australian tourists holidaying in Sri Lanka.WEB,weblink 2024-03-18, www.srilankan.com, During the COVID-19 pandemic, SriLankan performed cargo and operating relief flights. On 1 February 2020 it operated a relief flight out of Wuhan, China.NEWS,weblink Sri Lanka flies out 33 citizens from coronavirus epicenter in Wuhan, China, EconomyNext, 21 November 2020, SriLankan lost 36.3 billion rupees up to August 2020 and the government approved a voluntary retirement package for 560 employees at a cost of 1.46 billion rupees.NEWS,weblink SriLankan Airlines loses Rs36.3bn up to Aug 2020, EconomyNext, 21 November 2020, From May 2022, due to the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka which resulted in the country facing a fuel shortage, SriLankan's long-haul flights had to make stopovers at Trivandrum, Chennai and Kochi in India to refuel.NEWS,weblink SriLankan Airlines makes fuel stops at Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram airports, Murali N., Krishnaswamy, The Hindu, 2022-05-31, 26 July 2022, NEWS,weblink Sri Lankan flights refuelling at Kerala airports boost business, adds to state revenue, Arjun, Raghunath, Deccan Herald, 2022-07-05, 26 July 2022, NEWS,weblink Jet fuel biz thrives with more technical landings, Anantha, Narayanan K, The Times of India, 2022-07-12, 26 July 2022, NEWS,weblink 101 Lankan flights refuel at Thiruvananthapuram, pay Rs 75 lakh to land, The New Indian Express, 2022-07-16, 26 July 2022, For the financial year 2022–2023, SriLankan Airlines achieved a break-even for the first time in over a decade and posted a net profit of $3 million.WEB, After decades SriLankan breaks even in FY23 and achieves $ 3 m profit {{!, Daily FT |url=https://www.ft.lk/front-page/After-decades-SriLankan-breaks-even-in-FY23-and-achieves-3-m-profit/44-748327 |access-date=2023-06-01 |website=www.ft.lk |language=English}}SriLankan Airlines won the 2024 IFSA Best Inflight Food or Beverage Innovation Award at the APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) and IFSA (International Flight Services Association) Global Expo October 2023.NEWS, Sri Lankan Flavours Wins Prestigious 2024 IFSA Best Inflight Food or Beverage Innovation Award, a Culinary Triumph!, Travel and Tour World,weblink 22 December 2023,

Corporate affairs

The company's head office is at Airline Centre, Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake.

Livery

(File:Airlanka logo.png|thumb|200px|The Air Lanka logo (1979–1998).)The initial livery consisted of red stripes on a white fuselage. The tail was solid red and sported the corporate logo, a stylized vimana locally known as "Dandu Monara" (Flying Peacock Aircraft) of King Ravana of ancient "Lanka", Ravana.BOOK,weblink The Rough Guide to Sri Lanka, 2 November 2015, Rough Guides, 9780241251263, as per the famous "Ramayana" mythology. The five 'tail feathers' represent the "Five Precepts" (Pancha Seela) of Buddhism and the three 'crown feathers' represent the "Triple Gem" (Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha) of Buddhism. Red colour reflects the predominant colour in the Sri Lankan national flag which represent the majority race in the country, Sinhalese. This meaningful logo was designed by This meaningful logo was designed by Mr. Anthony (Tony)Hopman, but sadly for reasons un known, The dead line was looming for submissions,and Tony stepped out of the office briefly,a few minutes after he came back to his office, his artwork and paper work was by this time dispatched by a peon to The Air Lanka head office and inadvertently Mr Saparamadu's name was affixed to the art work package, and when it was received at its destination, The senders name was denoted as Mr. Shantha Saparamadu, formerly of Ceylinco advertising. This was the sole livery of the airline for nearly two decades, from January 1979 to October 1998. Unfortunately, the error was never corrected and Mr. Anthony (Tony) Hopman never got the recognition that he deserved and due to him. This was the sole livery of the airline for nearly two decades, from January 1979 to October 1998.After Air Lanka began a decade-long partnership with Emirates, the name was changed to SriLankan Airlines; the livery was changed into a much simpler one, with an all-white fuselage, covered by blue 'SriLankan' titles, and the tail adorned with the new corporate logo.In May 2014, an Airbus A330 and an Airbus A320 in special oneworld livery was delivered to commemorate the airline's establishment as a oneworld member. Newly delivered aircraft are adorned with a redesigned livery accompanying a blue underbelly slogan promoting Sri Lanka as a tourist destination.

Subsidiaries

SriLankan Catering is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SriLankan Airlines, providing flight catering services to all airlines serving the Bandaranaike International Airport.Its other businesses include provision of aircraft maintenance and overhaul services,WEB,weblink SriLankan Airlines - Engineering, srilankan.com, 2017-10-30, ground handling services,WEB,weblink Corporate Profile - SriLankan Airlines - Ground Handling, srilankan.com, 2017-10-30, packaged holiday products,WEB,weblink SriLankan Holidays,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20031003073023weblink">weblink 2003-10-03, dead, aviation trainingWEB,weblink SriLankan Aviation College,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141231191725weblink">weblink 2014-12-31, dead, and IT services.

Destinations

SriLankan currently{{when|date=February 2024}} operates an online network of 117 destinations and codeshares with other airlines to provide services to a total of 35 cities in 21 countries. Its interline partnerships and membership in Oneworld alliance allow it to offer passengers connectivity to over 1,000 cities in 160 countries.SriLankan is currently{{when|date=February 2024}} the largest foreign airline operating service to India, in terms of destinations, serving 14 cities. It is also the largest foreign airline in the Maldives, serving 2 cities.

Alliance

On 11 June 2012, SriLankan Airlines was announced as Oneworld's latest member-elect, on the sidelines of the IATA World Air Transport Summit in Beijing. Cathay Pacific served as SriLankan Airlines' sponsor through its alliance implementation program. Its membership implementation took approximately 18 months.PRESS RELEASE, SriLankan Airlines joins oneworld,weblink Cathay Pacific, 1 January 2016, SriLankan Airlines joined the airline alliance on 1 May 2014 as the first carrier from the Indian Sub-continent.

Codeshare agreements

SriLankan Airlines codeshares with the following airlines:WEB,weblink Code shares Partners : SriLankan Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180615044538weblink">weblink 2018-06-15, dead, 2016-10-29, {{div col|colwidth=17em}} {{div col end}}

Interline agreements

SriLankan Airlines have interline agreements with the following airlines:WEB,weblink Interline and Codeshare Travel, Pakistan International Airlines,

Fleet

{{multiple image|total_width=690|image1=Airbus_A320-200_SriLankan_AL_(ALK)_F-WWDK_-_MSN_4694_-_Will_be_4R-ABM_(5821191792).jpg|image2=4R-ANB A320-251N Sri Lankan Airlines.jpg|image3=SriLankan_Airlines_Airbus_A330-200_Volpati-1.jpg|image4=Srilankan_Airlines,_Airbus_A330-300_4R-ALM_NRT_(25270830011).jpg|footer=(L-R) SriLankan Airlines Airbus A320-200, Airbus A320neo, Airbus A330-200 and Airbus A330-300}}

Current fleet

{{As of|2024|3}}, SriLankan Airlines operates an all-Airbus fleet composed of the following aircraft:WEB,weblink Our Fleet, SriLankan Airlines, 9 March 2024, WEB,weblink SriLankan Airlines Fleet Details and History, 9 March 2024, {| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto;text-align:center; margin:auto;"|+ SriLankan Airlines fleet!rowspan="2" | Aircraft!rowspan="2" | In service!rowspan="2" | Orders!colspan="3" | Passengers!rowspan="2" | Notes!style="width:25px;" | B!style="width:25px;" | E!style="width:25px;" | TotalAirbus A320-2006—|16|120|136|12|138|150|12|150|162|Airbus A320neo|2|—|12|138|150||Airbus A321neo|4|—|12|176|188|Airbus A330-2002—18|251|269|252|270|Airbus A330-300|7|—|28|269|297|!Total!21!—! colspan="3" |!

Fleet development

The airline received its first Airbus aircraft in 1992, the Airbus A320-200 began flying to the airline's regional routes in Maldives, Pakistan and southern India. The Airbus A340-300 was delivered in 1994. The airline was the first in Asia to use the A340. The Airbus A330-200 aircraft were delivered later.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}In 2012, SriLankan Airlines aimed to boost its fleet to 35 aircraft over the next five years and had talks with both Airbus and Boeing regarding a deal.WEB,weblink SriLankan and Mihin Lanka to acquire 9 more aircraft, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120525083324weblink">weblink 25 May 2012, SriLankan's former CEO Kapila Chandrasena stated that the carrier wanted to add either Airbus A330-300, Boeing 787-8 or Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to its fleet to replace its Airbus A340-300s, with deliveries beginning in 2013–2014.WEB,weblink ROUTES: SriLankan in talks to add six 777s or A330s, Flight International, 3 October 2011, In April 2013, it was announced that SriLankan Airlines had won government approval to acquire four Airbus A350-900 and seven A330-300 aircraft, with deliveries of the A330-300 starting from October 2014.WEB,weblink SriLankan Airlines to get 13 Airbus aircraft with 7 A350s, 24 April 2015, 2 February 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140202153508weblink">weblink dead, Deliveries for the ordered A350-900s are set to commence in 2019. A further three Airbus A350-900s were leased, with deliveries of these aircraft starting in 2017.SriLankan phased out its last Airbus A340-300 on 7 January 2016, replaced by the A330-300 and the future A350-900.ch-aviation.com - SriLankan Airlines ends commercial A340 operations 8 January 2016 As of January 2016, construction of the airline's first Airbus A350-900 has started.WEB,weblink Sri Lanka Aviation, airsrilanka.org, January 2016, On 23 February 2015, SriLankan Airlines finalized a deal with Air Lease Corporation and AerCap to acquire two Airbus A321neo aircraft, one from each leasing firm.WEB,weblink SriLankan finalizes A321neo leases with AerCap, ALC, ch-aviation, On 10 May 2016, due to financial difficulties, the airline announced it would cancel its order of eight A350 aircraft. As of December 2019, the four aircraft of Airbus A350-900 are still in the Airbus monthly order book and have not yet been cancelled or converted to A330-900 orders.WEB,weblink Orders and Deliveries, 2020-01-01, In April 2021 SriLankan announced it has plans to retire 6-7 aircraft from its fleet. To replace the retiring aircraft, SriLankan have planned A350 and A330neo aircraft.WEB,weblink SriLankan Airlines Looks To The A350 & A330neo To Replace Retiring Jets, 29 April 2021, After government approvals, SriLankan requested proposals for six-year dry lease for five narrow-body aircraft and wet lease wide-body aircraft in late 2023. As per the RFPs, SriLankan received one A320 aircraft on 21 December 2023.WEB, Sri Lankan Airlines Boosts Fleet with Addition of Airbus A320 4R – ABS,weblink 22 December 2023, Adaderana Biz English, 22 December 2023,

Aircraft naming

File:4R ABM VCBI.jpg|thumb|4R-ABM, an A320-214 named after the City of AnuradhapuraAnuradhapuraThe airline names some of its aircraft after historically significant towns and cities in Sri Lanka, with aircraft named after Anuradapura, Yalpanam, Yapahuwa, Sri Jayawardenapura, and others.WEB, 2024-03-14, SriLankan Airlines Fleet Details and History,weblink 2024-03-15, Planespotters.net, en,

Historic fleet

SriLankan also formerly operated the following aircraft:{| class="wikitable" style="border-collapse:collapse;text-align:center; margin:auto;"|+ SriLankan Airlines former fleet!Aircraft!Fleet!Introduced!Retired!Notes|Airbus A300B4|1|2000|2000|Airbus A320 family>Airbus A320-200/A321-200|14|1992|2023|4R-ABA was destroyed in 2001 in the Bandaranaike Airport attack|Airbus A330-200|6|2000|2024|4R-ALE and 4R-ALF were destroyed in 2001 in the Bandaranaike Airport attack|Airbus A340-300|7|1994|2016|First Asian airline to operate Airbus A340 quad-jet, 4R-ADD was destroyed in 2001 in the Bandaranaike Airport attack|Boeing 707-320|3|1979|1983||Boeing 737-200|6|1980|1995||Boeing 737-300|1|1992|1992||Boeing 747-200|2|1984|1987||Boeing 767-300ER|1|2010|2010|{{nowrap|Lockheed L-1011 TriStar}}|181980|2000||1|1986Air Lanka Flight 512>UL 512 was destroyed during the first LTTE attack on Bandaranaike International Airport

Services

Cabin

(File:SriLankan A330-200 Business Class.jpg|thumb|A330-200 Business Class Cabin)(File:A330-300 Business Class Cabin.jpg|thumb|Flagship A330-300 Business Class Cabin)SriLankan offers two classes of service, Business Class and Economy Class. In Business Class, SriLankan offers full flat-bed seats on all of its long haul fleet with Audio Video on Demand (AVOD) facilities. The fully flat bed seat offers a 19.5 inches wide seat that can be reclined into a 180-degree 79 inches long bed. Each seat has a 15-inch personal IFE system. SriLankan's newest fleet additions will feature Thales Avant IFE, which features modern entertainment features and extended business class seats. Its A330-300 fleet presents an all-aisle access seating in a 1-2-1 arrangement on Business Class.NEWS,weblink SriLankan Airlines brings new business class to Melbourne, Australian Business Traveller, 2018-11-24, On its A320 and A321 fleet, Business class is configured in a 2-2 layout, offering extra reclining seats, each seat with a width of 19 inches and a pitch between 39 and 49 inches.WEB,weblink SriLankan Airlines Planes, Fleet and Seat Maps, seatguru.com, 2018-11-24, SriLankan provides in-seat entertainment in Economy class on all its wide-bodied aircraft and the vast majority of narrow-body aircraft. On its A330-300 and A320/A321neo aircraft, all cabin classes are provided with the option of paid-for in-flight internet access and mobile telephony services.

Entertainment

File:Business Class Breakfast on SriLankan Airlines UL708.jpg|thumb|In-flight entertainment on the A320 fleet and Business Class catering on a flight from Mahé.]]SriLankan Airlines offer AVOD inflight entertainment on its aircraft.WEB,weblink Inflight Entertainment- Inflight Movies, srilankan.com, 14 July 2017, The A320, A321 & A330-200 equipped with the RAVE ZODAIC Inflight Entertainment.WEB,weblink Seat-centric RAVE has its inaugural flight on Sri Lankan Airlines | Zodiac Inflight Innovations, 2016-01-01, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160203161544weblink">weblink 3 February 2016, The new A330-300 have the latest Thales AVANT Inflight Programme.WEB,weblink SriLankan Airlines First Worldwide to offer Thales InFlyt Experience Live News & Weather Application, Thales Group, 30 September 2015, SriLankan offers onboard WiFi connectivity with new Airbus A330-300 and A320/A321neo fleets in partnership with OnAir.WEB,weblink Sri Lankan Airlines Brings Mobile and Wi-Fi Access on Board, 11 April 2014, 8 January 2015, SriLankan is South Asia's first airline to have on-board WiFi capability.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150218150330weblink">weblink dead, 18 February 2015, SriLankan Airlines flies its first fully-connected aircraft, 13 November 2014, 8 January 2015,

Catering

(File:Sri Lankan Catering Services (34676496114) - edit.jpg|thumb|SriLankan Catering depot at Bandaranaike International.)SriLankan Catering Limited is the sole airline caterer in Sri Lanka. Its hub is at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).WEB, Accreditation – SriLankan Catering,weblink srilankancatering.com, 2016-01-01, 23 January 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160123013146weblink">weblink dead, SriLankan Catering's main line of business is in-flight catering to airlines that operate to Bandaranaike International Airport.WEB, F&B Services for Aircraft Catering – SriLankan Catering,weblink srilankancatering.com, 2016-01-01, 22 January 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160122024801weblink">weblink dead, Its state-of-the-art flight kitchen at BIA has a capacity of 25,000 meals per day.WEB, Customer Service – SriLankan Catering,weblink srilankancatering.com, 2016-01-01, 23 January 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160123013222weblink">weblink dead, Incorporated in 1979, as Air Lanka Catering Services Limited with BOI status, SriLankan Catering commenced business as a joint venture with Thai Airways International. In 1998 when the joint venture agreement with Thai Airways International lapsed Air Lanka Limited bought the shares of the joint venture partner and thus Air Lanka Catering Services became the fully owned subsidiary of SriLankan Airlines Limited. Thereafter the Company changed its name to SriLankan Catering (Private) Limited in September 2000.WEB, History – SriLankan Catering,weblink srilankancatering.com, 2016-01-01, 23 January 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160123040642weblink">weblink dead,

Frequent flyer programme

SriLankan's first frequent-flyer programme was called Serendib Miles and was abandoned in early 2000. It then became a partner of Emirates' Skywards frequent-flyer program. However, this agreement ceased to exist when the partnership between the two airlines concluded on 31 March 2008.SriLankan Airlines launches FFP {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708110219weblink |date=8 July 2011 }} Business Traveller, 26 March 2008. SriLankan subsequently launched FlySmiLes, which has since added a variety of new reward partners to its program.‘FlySmiles’ announces exciting rewards Sunday Times, 25 January 2009.WEB,weblink FlySmiles, SriLankan Airlines, 1 January 2016, New membership tiers were added after the airline's enrollment to the oneworld alliance to accommodate Oneworld membership tiers, gaining better privileges for members when aboard all Oneworld airlines.There are a total of four membership tiers {{as of|May 2014|lc=y}}. They are:
  • FlySmiLes Blue: Base tier
  • FlySmiLes Classic: Oneworld Ruby
  • FlySmiLes Gold: Oneworld Sapphire
  • FlySmiLes Platinum: Oneworld Emerald
FlySmiles partners include all Oneworld airlines, Cinnamon Air and Etihad Airways and non-airlines partners like Abans and Spa Ceylon.

Accidents and incidents

Five of the six aircraft that have been destroyed, and all of the reported deaths of SriLankan Airlines passengers and employees, have been a result of the civil conflict in Sri Lanka.

1980s

On 3 May 1986, a bomb planted by the terrorist group LTTE exploded on board Flight UL512 before takeoff at Bandaranaike International Airport. The bomb, which had been timed to explode in-flight, went off while the Lockheed L-1011 'Tristar' aircraft was on the ground, killing 21 of 128 passengers. Officials believe the bomb may have been concealed in crates of meat and vegetables that were being freighted to the Maldives. Other reports believe that the bomb was hidden in the aircraft's 'Fly Away Kit'.

1990s

In 1992, the right landing gear of an Air Lanka Boeing 737-200 (registration 4R-ULL) at Madras airport (now Chennai International Airport) failed upon landing and the right engine came into contact with the runway. The aircraft pulled to the right and finally came to a stop, with the nose wheel and right wing on the grass to the right of the landing runway. The right engine caught fire – extinguished by the airport safety services – and the 104 passengers and 12 crew evacuated the aircraft via the chutes on the left side without injury. The damage to the aircraft was substantial; the plane was subsequently repaired and sold.weblink Boeing 737 – MSN 20195 – CC-CYR (ex 4R-ULL) The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation concluded that "the accident occurred as a result of a failure of the right-hand main landing gear beam during the landing due to pre-existing stress corrosion cracks and pits at its inboard lug hole and higher than normal landing loads contributed to its failure".weblink Civil Aviation Aircraft Accident Summary for the Year 1992 (DGCA, India)

2000s

On 24 July 2001, the LTTE launched a major pre-dawn attack on the Sri Lanka Air Force hangar located along the Bandaranaike International Airport. The raid left at least 19 people dead, including all 14 LTTE Cadres, two army commandos and three air force personnel. Two of SriLankan Airlines' Airbus A330 planes (4R-ALE and 4R-ALF), one A320 (4R-ABA) and one of their A340 planes (4R-ADD) were destroyed. Two other aircraft were damaged (A340 4R-ADC and A320 4R-ABB). A number of military aircraft were also damaged and destroyed.WEB, 2001,weblink Intelligence failures exposed by Tamil Tiger airport attack, Jane's Intelligence Review, 9 April 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080225162532weblink">weblink 25 February 2008, Alt URLWEB,weblink SriLankan Airlines (Aviation Safety Network), Aviation-safety.net, 4 March 2012,

Financial fallout

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}}|width=450|caption=SriLankan Airline financial performance}}SriLankan Airlines has not made a profit since 2008; the year it was re-nationalised. In 1998, Emirates won a proposal to handle the island nation's flag airline, Air Lanka. Following that, Emirates rebranded the aging carrier as SriLankan and modernized its fleet with contemporary Airbus A330 aircraft. Emirates obtained ten years of management rights as part of the equity purchase. It later sold its ownership in the carrier for US$53 million, resulting in a nearly US$20 million loss.WEB, 2019-03-20, Emirates Management Of SriLankan Airlines,weblink 2021-12-28, Colombo Telegraph, en-US, Sri Lanka currently has no bankruptcy protection act, and the only option for a closedown would be a complete liquidation. If the Government is to shut down the airline, it will be compelled to write off this debt to the state banks and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. This could raise significant concerns about the two-state banks' liquidity by foreign rating agencies and could seriously jeopardise the prospects of Sri Lanka's entire banking sector. The Government as the guarantor would also be called upon for immediate repayment of the international bond worth US$175 million.WEB, Corporate Collapses and Insolvency Regimes -The Sri Lankan Experience,weblink 2021-12-28, LawNet, en-US, If this were to occur, aircraft rent payments would no longer be made, the risk premium for airlines leasing aircraft in Sri Lanka would increase, making the country unappealing as a base for a carrier. However, this would be good news for Airbus, which is currently facing a more than US$1 billion claim for the airline over the tainted A330 and A350 transactions for 2013.WEB, Sri Lanka to Probe $2.3 bn Airbus Deal – Ilankai Tamil Sangam,weblink 2021-12-28, sangam.org, In 2016 and 2017, SriLankan's losses were impacted by the costs in relation to the much-publicised cancellation of its Airbus A350 lease agreements. If the majority of the fleet were all due for heavy maintenance in later years, this could imply a significant charge of LKR 3 billion per annum for the prior years if restated. Such a change would make a further dent in the profits recorded during the Emirates era, as the maintenance cost was legitimately understated.NEWS, 2017-06-16, SriLankan Airline's annual loss widens as Airbus compensation bites, en, Reuters,weblink 2021-12-28, SriLankan subsidiary Mihin Lanka never recorded an annual profit since its inception in 2007 and an accumulated loss of LKR17.27 billion in 2016. The financial performance for the current year has followed the same trend of losses. For the 6-month period loss of LKR 181 million and the remainder of the financial year it was budgeted to lose a further LKR billion. A few months after Mihin Lanka shut down losses exceed LKR 13 billion. Most of the company's assets were acquired by SriLankan Airline on 29 October 2016.WEB, Sirimane, Shirajiv, Mihin Lanka to wind up this year,weblink 2021-12-28, Daily News, en, In 2020, SriLankan Airlines lost a little over US$200 million. In this period airline debt obligations today exceed US$900 million (LKR 372 billion). The bulk of these appears to be debts to state banks and the CPC, both wholly owned by the Government of Sri Lanka. The airline also has at least one, sovereign guaranteed, internationally issued bond worth US$175 million.WEB, 2021-12-19, Pay in US $, CPC tells SriLankan,weblink 2021-12-28, Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst, en, According to the Finance Ministry data, SriLankan lost LKR 24.5 billion from April to July 2021, as the company, which was already losing money, encountered further difficulties during the SARS-CoV 2 outbreak. In the fiscal year ending March 2021, SriLankan lost LKR 58 billion.WEB, 2021-11-29, SriLanka Airlines loses Rs24.8bn from April to July 2021,weblink 2021-12-28, EconomyNext, en,

Controversies

In March 2015, a report was released following a Board of Inquiry investigation into corruption at SriLankan during the time it was under the chairmanship of Nishantha Wickramasinghe. The Board has reported that corruption was widespread and confirmed the allegations of Nishantha Wickramasinghe's affairs.WEB,weblink Shocking Revelations of Weliamuna Committee on SriLankan Airlines, Asian Mirror, 7 April 2015, 9 April 2015, 10 April 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150410191639weblink">weblink dead, However, the Mahinda Rajapaksa Information Centre denied the allegations and accused the report of being biased and invalid, accusing the head of the committee of publicly supporting the current government in the elections and lacking technical knowledge about the aviation industry. It further claimed that he had been bribed to submit such a report as a publicity stunt to humiliate the previous government and that most of the points within it were untrue.WEB,weblink Truth about Weliamuna's allegations about air hostess incident (Sinhala), Mahinda Rajapaksa Information Centre, 10 April 2015, 10 April 2015, 15 September 2021,weblink dead, The airline's short-lived Air-Taxi service and its mismanagement was found to have caused the loss of millions of dollars to the airline.In October 2015, the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC) attempted to summon Wickramasinghe to inquire about various irregularities in the airline; however, they were unable to locate him, and his wife claimed he had not come home for three years and that she was unaware of his whereabouts. Later he notified PRECIFAC that he was abroad and was unable to give a statement.WEB, PRECIFAC unable to locate Nishantha Wickramasinghe,weblink dailymirror.lk, 2015-10-29, WEB, Nishantha informs PRECIFAC he is abroad,weblink dailymirror.lk, 2015-10-29, On 14 April 2021, SriLankan Airlines claimed on Twitter that it had made history by operating three successive cargo charter flights to Entebbe International Airport, Uganda, transporting over 102 tonnes of “printed papers” in February 2021.WEB, 2022-04-15, Private Jets & UL Cargo flights linked to Uganda - What's going on?,weblink 2022-04-17, Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst, en, The nature of the “printed papers” was not immediately revealed. The tweet was later deleted, creating doubts about the transparency of SriLankan Airlines.WEB, Sri Lanka : Sri Lanka national carrier explains last year's cargo operation to Uganda,weblink 2022-04-17, www.colombopage.com, The airline later issued a statement clarifying that the printed material was Ugandan currency which the Ugandan government preferred to obtain printed from a global security printer.WEB, SriLankan says Entebbe-bound cargo contained currency notes for Uganda,weblink 2022-04-17, Print Edition - The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka, WEB, The sinking ship of state and its hapless captain,weblink 2022-04-17, Print Edition - The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka, The Biyagama branch of the De La Rue company is responsible for printing currency notes to countries including Uganda.WEB, 2022-04-15, SriLankan flights to Uganda : Statement from Currency Printer De La Rue,weblink 2022-04-17, NewsWire, en-US, SriLankan insisted that the consignment was purely commercial in nature and brought much needed foreign revenue to the airline.WEB, 2022-04-14, Cargo flights to Uganda in 2021 : SriLankan issues clarification,weblink 2022-04-17, NewsWire, en-US, SriLankan Airlines decided to sue Airbus for $1 billion as damages, loss of reputation, reimbursement of costs, and interests. The action follows the information revealed in the judgment of the Crown Court of the United Kingdom approving the Deferred Prosecution Agreement between the Serious Fraud Office and Airbus SE. The national carrier has also demanded Airbus for cancellation of the A350-900 Purchase Agreement for four A350-900 aircraft, returning the advance payment of $19 million made for those four A350-900 aircraft.WEB,weblink SriLankan Airlines Billion Dollar Lawsuit Against Airbus Continues, 14 April 2021,

Potential privatisation

Following the economic crisis of 2022, the Sri Lankan government has been exploring approaches to privatise several state-owned companies including SriLankan Airlines. In 2023, the Sri Lankan government set up the 'State-Owned Enterprise Restructuring Unit' (SRU) under the Ministry of Finance to assist in the privatisation of state-owned companies such as SriLankan Airlines.WEB, Govt sets up restructuring Unit to assist in privatizing seven entitles including SriLankan, Litro - Breaking News {{!, Daily Mirror |url=https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking_news/Govt-sets-up-restructuring-Unit-to-assist-in-privatizing-seven-entitles-including-SriLankan-Litro/108-256428 |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=www.dailymirror.lk |language=English}}An entity linked to AirAsia is among six entities accepted by Sri Lanka's State-Owned Enterprises Restructuring Unit (SRU) to bid for Sri Lankan Airlines. The government, which owns 99.52% of the airline, is selling a majority stake. The other entities include FitsAir, Dharshaan Elite Investment Holding Ltd., Sherisha Technologies Ltd., Hayleys PLC, and Treasure Republic Guardians Ltd.AirAsia Consulting Sdn. Bhd., the consulting arm of AirAsia, is the only one with ties to a major airline. FitsAir is a Sri Lankan low-cost carrier, while Hayleys PLC is an established conglomerate. The others seem to be investment firms without aviation experience.The SRU will evaluate the RfQs based on specific guidelines, and participation doesn't guarantee bidding rights. The government will take on LKR100 billion rupees (US$332.6 million) of Sri Lankan Airlines' debt, while a US$175 million international bond remains the airline's responsibility. The government may also receive proceeds from an arbitration case against Airbus.The government aims to conclude the divestiture process by September 2024weblink

See also

References

{{reflist}}
  • Birch, Doug. "SriLankan Airlines". Air International, February 2003, Vol 64 No 2. pp. 26–30.

External links

{{Commons category-inline|SriLankan Airlines}}
  • {{Official websiteweblink}} {{in lang|si|ta}}
{{SriLankan}}{{Oneworld}}{{airlines of Sri Lanka}}{{IATA members|asia}}{{Authority control}}

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