flydubai and SriLankan Airlines announce new interline agreement

The new agreement will provide passengers with more convenient options for travel between the UAE, Sri Lanka and beyond

flydubai, the Dubai-based budget carrier and SriLankan Airlines confirmed the start of their new interline agreement which will offer more travel opportunities between the UAE, Sri Lanka and beyond. 

This interline agreement will offer flydubai passengers access to 16 destinations on SriLankan’s robust network spanning Southern and East Asia, the Middle East and Australia – including Melbourne, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo.

In addition, the interline will enable passengers travelling with SriLankan Airlines to seamlessly connect via Dubai’s aviation hub to more than 30 destinations that flydubai operates to in Africa, Central Asia, Central and Southeast Europe as well as the Middle East. This includes unique holiday destinations such as Bucharest, Krakow, Mombasa, Naples, Tashkent and Zanzibar.

Commenting on the interline agreement, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “we’re excited about our new interline agreement with SriLankan Airlines that will further strengthen trade and tourism relations between the UAE and Sri Lanka. Since the start of operations to Sri Lanka in 2010, we have seen consistent demand for travel between our two countries over the years. Dubai remains an important thriving aviation hub and through these interline agreements, this will open up new horizons for our passengers, giving them more options to explore the world with ease.”

SriLankan Airlines and flydubai are committed to delivering convenient and reliable travel options for their valued customers. Passengers can expect the signature hospitality and onboard services that both airlines are renowned for when travelling with SriLankan and flydubai.

SriLankan Cargo partners with cargo.one to digitalize sales

SriLankan Cargo and cargo.one have unveiled an exciting global partnership to bring the Sri Lankan national carrier’s cargo capacity to the leading platform for digital air cargo bookings. Comprising its very first digital sales channel for air cargo, cargo.one will soon deliver its user-friendly and efficient booking platform for all SriLankan Cargo’s global offers. The addition of SriLankan Cargo services further adds to cargo.one’s renowned depth and diversity of supply options. The deal reflects cargo.one’s ability to deliver airlines a first class digital sales channel with a broad and competitive presence in all relevant markets.

SriLankan Cargo will provide freight forwarders using cargo.one with valuable connectivity to a global network of 37 destinations in 21 countries across Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Far East and Australia. The airline leverages its direct flights to key hubs in Europe, as well as particularly strong capacity options to India and the Gulf region. With its road and partner networks, SriLankan Cargo further expands its reach to serve over 200 destinations worldwide. 

cargo.one is the go-to choice for forwarders requiring rapid and comprehensive global market visibility, and the ability to book and confirm shipments at speed. SriLankan Cargo customers can rely upon cargo.one’s high standards for usability, visibility and control in the booking of their shipments. 

Chaminda Perera, Head of Cargo at SriLankan Cargo, comments, “Our digital sales progression is now a key driver of our growth, and cargo.one is a logical expert to expedite our transition. We can have total confidence that every SriLankan Cargo customer will enjoy a top-class digital experience. It is excellent to see that our teams are already kick-starting smart initiatives to maximize our market opportunities.” 

S&P downgrades SriLankan Airlines bond after default

Photo by Fasyah Halim on Unsplash

              Ratings agency S&P Global on Monday cut its long-term issue rating on state-owned SriLankan Airlines' foreign currency-denominated bond after the airline was unable to meet an interest payment and defaulted on a paper.

"We lowered the issue ratings on the SLA 2024 bond to 'D' from 'CC' because both the issuer and government of Sri Lanka, as guarantor, missed a coupon payment of about US$6.1 million," the ratings agency said in a statement on Monday.

SriLankan Airlines defaulted on a $175 million bond as it was unable to meet a $6 million interest payment, its chairperson told Reuters on Thursday.

S&P affirmed the other ratings on Sri Lanka and said that the outlook on the country's long-term local currency rating is negative.

Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru

SriLankan Airlines Engineering on a Roll with C-Check for SereneAir

The Engineering division of SriLankan Airlines continues its winning streak with yet another C-Check for a customer airline. This time, the heavy maintenance C-Check was performed on an Airbus A330-202 aircraft owned by Pakistani airline, SereneAir, at SriLankan Engineering’s dedicated European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approved wide-body hangar.  SriLankan Engineering has carried out a total of six heavy maintenance checks to date this year for several customers, with each generating a significant inflow of essential foreign currency.  

The C-Check performed for SereneAir is unique in two ways. Firstly, it stems from the first exclusive base maintenance agreement that SriLankan Engineering has signed with a customer airline. The contract grants exclusivity to SriLankan Engineering in carrying out all base maintenance work for current and planned Airbus A320 and A330 aircraft in SereneAir’s fleet for a three-year period. Secondly, it is the first instance where SriLankan Engineering has performed heavy maintenance work on an aircraft-engine combination that is atypical of the aircraft-engine combinations in SriLankan Airlines’ own fleet.

Sri Lankan government to sell Sri Lankan Airlines as the money runs out.

Authorities in Sri Lanka have confirmed they will sell off the 49% stake the government holds in loss-making SriLankan Airlines as the country runs out of money. 

The government on Monday said it will sell 49% of SriLankan Airlines' catering and ground-handling units as it can no longer afford to pump any money into the airline.  It hopes that it will be able to retain  51% of those departments. 

"This restructuring is essential as the government can no longer afford to inject money into running the airline," Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said on Monday.   "Annually the government has been providing the airline between USD 80 billion to USD 200 billion to run its operations," 

According to the minister, the carrier's debts were currently running at USD $1.226 billion and was one of more than 190 state-owned enterprises that are either in debt or making vast losses. 

SriLankan Airlines Records First Fourth Quarter Profit Since 2006

SriLankan Airlines records its first profitable fourth quarter (Q4) since 2006 for the financial year that ended on 31 March 2022 with a group net profit of USD 1.7 million despite pandemic challenges. The airline was able to achieve this financial turnaround through various measures in its 2021-22 financial year including scaling down staff costs and overheads; renegotiating supplier contracts; increasing cargo revenue; and creating an ambitious growth plan capitalizing on pent-up travel demand. The initiatives paid off, with SriLankan making its first monthly profit since the onset of COVID-19 in December 2021 and continuing with a profit in the final quarter. The airline now has accumulated over USD 12 million in profits over the last 4 months as traffic has returned after the pandemic.

SriLankan’s expansion initiative saw the launch of flights to several new destinations in the last year including Seoul; Moscow; Kathmandu and Paris. Frequencies were also gradually increased across the airline’s network in line with the recovery of the global travel industry and demand. The airline has also carried out major campaigns to boost tourism to the country including a major initiative in India, roadshows supporting new routes and most recently sponsoring the popular French annual adventure trail, Raid Amazones, in March of this year.

The airline is now back to 75 per cent of the passenger revenue it made pre-pandemic in Q4 of 2019-20. Correspondingly, passenger numbers also rose to near 700,000 for the quarter. The airline is making strong headway towards matching pre-pandemic levels as demand for international travel recovers. The payoff is not limited to the airline, as it remains by far the largest carrier of tourists into Sri Lanka. SriLankan is also a net foreign currency earner for the country owing to a sizeable share of its revenue being generated from international markets.  

Ashok Pathirage, Chairman of SriLankan Airlines stated, “I am pleased to note that we ended 2021-22 on a high note, given our first quarterly profit in many years. The passenger demand remained strong, and revenues continued to recover from the setbacks of the pandemic during the quarter. Our annual expenditure remained within expectations. I am thankful to all our valued employees for contributing towards this achievement.”

“We anticipate some headwinds in the first half of this financial year with high fuel prices and a short-term dip in demand to Sri Lanka. We have factored in these challenges and are working towards minimizing the impact with a strong business plan and a sound turnaround strategy to return to full-year profitability. Traffic is expected to recover fully by the end of the year as travel restrictions are eased off further. We will continue to support the tourism industry of Sri Lanka and be a catalyst for economic recovery,” added Richard Nuttall, Acting Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines. 

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SriLankan Airlines introduces a new healthy menu

SriLankan Airlines embarks on a journey of flavours that unravels the best-kept secrets of the island’s legendary gastronomy, with the launch of its Sri Lankanized onboard menu, featuring a fascinating line up of authentically Sri Lankan dishes, championing locally sourced ingredients and culinary traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. 

The menu presents the inherent flavours and textures that define the Sri Lankan culinary experience whilst emphasising on their health properties, thus appealing to the health-conscious, contemporary traveller.

Immunity boosters

Aloe vera and pineapple

The cooling sensation of aloe vera paired with the sweet, flavourful notes of pineapple rich in vitamin C.

Cucumber and honey

The soothing, mild notes of cucumber blending in with the earthy flavours of honey, the ultimate superfood.

King coconut with coconut pulp

The quintessential island favourite, ‘Thambili’ served with the refreshing coconut pulp, which contains antioxidants and minerals.

Soursop and cardamom

The aromatic notes of cardamom complementing the flavourful notes of soursop, high in vitamins and antioxidants.

Iramusu punch

This herbal infusion, mostly served warm, has a distinct flavour and a captivating aroma. Iramusu is used in ayurveda medicine for its healing properties.

Hathawariya porridge

A local breakfast dish, packed with nutrients and flavours, brings together the refreshing notes of hathawariya, fresh coconut milk and the sweet accompaniment of kithul jaggery.

Tamarind Rasam

A timeless favourite with a zing, a concoction of spices such as tomatoes, tamarind, pepper—rich in minerals and antioxidants, helps digestion.

SriLankan Engineering teams up with AVENSIS Aviation for MRO services in Colombo

SriLankan Engineering has teamed up with UK-based AVENSIS Aviation Ltd to provide MRO services for the embodiment of Passenger to Freighter (PTF) conversions for Airbus A320 and A330 aircraft. SriLankan Engineering provides an EASA approved MRO facility for the conversion with major maintenance check capability at its base in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Avensis Aviation, provides innovative and scalable aircraft conversion solutions ranging from its light ‘LEVIS’ Freighter conversion to ‘NAVIS’ full freighter conversion through its own EASA-approved STCs.

The first aircraft embodiment of an Airbus A320 PTF Conversion for Sri Lankan operator FitsAir, was recently completed – on-time and on-budget.”

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SriLankan Airlines to restart London-Maldives route later this month

SriLankan Airlines has confirmed it will be restarting direct flights between the Maldives and the UK from Saturday 13th February 2021.  

The carrier will operate the route twice a week, departing London on Tuesday and Saturday, reaching the Maldives on Wednesday and Sunday accordingly.  

SriLankan Airlines suspends all passenger flights due to Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak

SriLankan Airlines has decided to temporarily suspend all its flights from 8th April 2020 to 21st of April 2020 in view of the travel restrictions and entry bands in a number of other countries that it flies to.

The airline said it would be constantly reviewing the market conditions and the restrictions imposed by the various authorities so it could recommence its operations at short notice even before the 21st April 2020 in the event such restrictions are lifted.

The carriers cargo services will continue to operate across its worldwide network and special flights would be added as and when required.

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Over 91% of flights on-time - SriLankan Airlines is the most punctual global airline in September 2018

SriLankan Airlines are celebrating after recently being named the world’s most punctual airline in the month of September 2018 in the key categories of ‘Global Airlines’ and ‘Major Airlines’, by the flight data analysis company Flightstats.com.

An extraordinary 91.37% of SriLankan Airlines’ flights in September 2018 were on time according to an analysis by Flightstats.  Flightstats analysed data of 41 carriers in the category of ‘Global Airlines’ across every continent - Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, and South America – including most of the world’s largest and most prestigious airlines. Airlines are categorized among four categories – the others being Regional Airlines and Low Cost Carriers – with some airlines appearing in more than one category.

In the ‘Global Airlines’ category, SriLankan’s punctuality was far ahead of the giant U.S. based carrier Delta Airlines that was in second place with 86.74% flights on time, while third place went to the Japanese airline ANA with 86.61% on time.

SriLankan Airline introduces a 20 minute gate deadline as the airline extends its codeshare deal with Air India

SriLankan has introduced a twenty-minute gate arrival cut off time to make passengers ‘Ready to Fly’. If passengers fail to arrive at the gate by that time they wil be offloaded, more on that later. 

In another recent announcement, SriLankan Airlines has confirmed it has extended its codeshare deal with Air India.  Under the deal, the airline will apply the Air India code to a number of flights from its home of Columbo. Air India will also add the SriLankan flight code to various departures from Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai.

Read on for the codeshare flights- 

Last A320neo for SriLankan Airlines

The flag carrier of Sri Lanka took delivery of the last new Airbus A321neo to join its fleet last month. SriLankan Airlines now has six Airbus neo aircraft and 27 aircraft in total in its fleet with the newest acquisition.

SriLankan Airlines welcomed the aircraft with special religious observances and ceremonies at the airlines engineering hangar in Katunayake to bestow blessings on the new jet before it embarks on its life as a commercial airliner.

Crosswinds cause SriLankan Airbus to strike runway lights at Cochin

The passengers and crew of a SriLankan Airlines flight had a lucky escape on Sunday 27th May after the aircraft they were on struck a number of runway lights whilst landing at Cochin International Airport

The incident occurred as heavy rains were lashing the area on Sunday with savage crosswinds as flight UL167 was coming into land. The aircraft was carrying 228 passengers and 12 crew at the time of the incident and so far there have been no reports of any injuries to those onboard.

The SriLankan Airlines flight UL167 from Colombo, Sri Lanka and had landed at 3.55pm local time at Cochin, Kerala. Local media reported that the Airbus aircraft came down off centre and had veered toward the edge of the runway, damaging a small number of ground lights.  

SriLankan Airlines boss told to resign or be ousted

The CEO of SriLankan Airlines is about the vacate the post, according to local media.  Suren Ratwatte position is untenable after the board of directors decided his services should be terminated at a special meeting on 25th January, following which they had asked him to resign.

Mr Ratwatte, however, decided to take a last minute holiday to Australia and is reported to be in the Melbourne area and has, as yet, not tended his resignation.

The directors are meeting again on 2nd February where it is believed they will decide on the exit strategy and leaving package for Ratwatte, should he not offer his resignation.  

Ratwatte had recently faced criticism of his management style, leadership qualities, decision making and alleged abuses of power from a consortium of employees, who wrote to the board to express their complete lack of confidence in the CEO. 

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SriLanKan Airlines and Qantas extend codeshare deal down under.

SriLankan Airlines is building on the success of its recently launched daily non-stop services to Melbourne last month by expanding its codeshare arrangments with Qantas. 

The agreement will see SriLankan codeshare on Qantas’ services from Melbourne to Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney in Australia as well as to New Zealand’s city of sails - Auckland. In return, Qantas will now codeshare on SriLankan’s flights between Colombo and Bangkok as well as its flights between Colombo and Hong Kong. The new codeshare starts from 18th December 2017 and flights are already on sale giving passengers greater choice.

Top-tier frequent flyers of both airlines will be entitled to a range of Oneworld alliance benefits such as the opportunity to earn and redeem miles, lounge access, additional baggage allowances and priority check-in and boarding. Member airlines of the Oneworld alliance link over 1,000 destinations in 160 countries.

SriLankan Airlines is "Best Full Service Airline in Central & South Asia" for third consecutive year

SriLankan Airlines collected yet another impressive accolade when it won the title of "Best Full Service Airline in Central & South Asia" for the third consecutive year at the Future Travel Experience Asia Awards 2017 in Singapore, an event that recognizes the most customer-centric airlines and airports in Asia and Oceania.

SriLankan Airlines's CEO, Captain Suren Ratwatte, said: "I am delighted to say that this award is the direct result of the extraordinary level of commitment by every member of our airline's team, both in the air and on the ground. This demonstrates a high level of long-term consistency in our standards, in terms of the products and the service that we provide. Most importantly, our commitment to quality brings great benefits to our customers, whom we take pride in delighting at all times during their journey with us."

Siva Ramachandra, Chief Commercial Officer of SriLankan Airlines, said: "Winning an important regional award once is creditable for any airline. But winning the same award three times in consecutive years points to a simply marvelous passenger experience that has been provided continuously, throughout our route network."

Over the last several weeks, SriLankan has been honoured with a series of global and regional accolades. These include a prestigious Four Star Rating from the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) in the first ever global airline industry rating programme based solely on passenger feedback; "Leading International Airline" and "Best in Class" at the South Asian Travel Awards 2017; and "Innovation in Commercial Airline Cabins" at the In-flight Asia Pacific Awards.

SriLankan Airlines Launch Melbourne Flights

SriLankan Airlines took yet another decisive step forward in extending its route network with the launch of daily non-stop services to Melbourne on 29th October 2017, providing global travellers with a convenient option to visit Australia and travellers from Down Under the opportunity to travel the world via rapid connections in Colombo.

Ajith Dias, Chairman of Sri Lanka’s National Carrier, said: “We at SriLankan Airlines are delighted to launch this new service, which we have no doubt would be of great convenience to all segments of travelers, including the large number of Sri Lankans domiciled in Australia, the many Australians who love to travel overseas and people throughout Asia who visit Down Under.”

Sri Lankan expatriates and students form a large and significant community in Australia and frequently travel back to their native land. Many of them reside in Melbourne, and other cities in the state of Victoria and neighbouring New South Wales, with smaller numbers throughout the rest of Australia and New Zealand.

More on this story continues 

SriLankan Airlines receives prestigious Four Star rating by Airline Passenger Experience Association

SriLankan Airlines added another feather to its cap by being honoured with a prestigious Four Star Rating by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) in the first ever airline industry rating programme based solely on feedback from passengers.



Captain Suren Ratwatte, CEO of SriLankan Airlines, said: “We are delighted to receive this rating of excellence, which we consider extremely important since it was compiled using passenger feedback. We will continue our efforts to delight our customers and will aim to achieve Five Stars in the next edition of the rating.”


APEX (www.apex.aero) is the world’s only non-profit membership trade association dedicated to improving the entire airline passenger experience



Siva Ramachandra, Chief Commercial Officer of SriLankan, said: “This rating is the culmination of continuous teamwork and innovation by every employee of our airline and demonstrates that SriLankan has the ability to compete with the finest airlines in the sky.”


A total of 470 airlines worldwide were rated, with only 12% of airlines achieving five-star status and 14% reaching four-star status. Using a five-star scale, more than 500,000 flights were rated anonymously by passengers between 24th October 2016 and to 31st July 2017. Passengers rated their overall flight experience and also provided ratings in seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment and Wi-Fi. SriLankan Airlines was placed in the Major Regional Airline category, with the other categories being Global Airlines and Low-Cost Carriers.


The awards were presented at a gala ceremony in Long Beach, California on 25th September during APEX EXPO, a conference attended by more than 4,000 airline industry professionals which showcase the airline related technologies, products and services.


SriLankan recently won a host of accolades including "World’s Leading Airline Operating to the Indian Ocean Region" at the World Travel Awards; ‘Best Full Service Airline in Central and South Asia’ for two consecutive years at the Future Travel Experience Asia Awards; ‘Most Innovative Marketing Airline in China’ by Life Weekly magazine; ‘Best Airline in South Asia’ at the Top Travel Awards, also in China; and Best International Airline – Asia for two consecutive years at the Tamil Nadu Tourism Awards.


The airline has been rapidly modernizing its fleet with the addition of brand new wide-body A330-300 and narrow body A320neo and A321neo aircraft. Passengers now enjoy a service with comfortable seats, state of the art entertainment systems, excellent in-flight cuisine, onboard connectivity (Wi-Fi & GSM) and flight attendants famed for their warmth and caring.


SriLankan’s global network covers 105 cities in 47 countries and as a member of the oneworld global airline alliance it also connects its passengers to one world’s worldwide network of more than 1,000 destinations in 160 countries.

Changes Ahead For Sri Lankan Airlines

It's been announced that SriLankan Airlines is to undergo and thorough review into its operations after a specially conducted review was submitted to the Prime Ministers office.

The comprehensive review details how to restructure the airline, reduce costs and halt the haemorrhaging of losses that have afflicted the airline in recent years. The document also details plans and methods of keeping the airline flying whilst a new international partner is sought to assist or partially take over the airline.