SriLankan Airlines’ re-fleeting programme has taken flight with the delivery of the first of several new Airbus A320 aircraft in November, marking the first aircraft to join the carrier in more than four years.
A second aircraft was scheduled for December, with a third and fourth likely to be obtained in the first quarter of 2009. The airline intends to acquire a fifth aircraft in the next financial year.
Manoj Gunawardena, SriLankan’s CEO, said: “The arrival of this aircraft is a significant milestone in the history of SriLankan Airlines. It signals the launch of our re-fleeting programme, which is an integral part of our strategy to turn the airline around and bring it back to profitability. The re-fleeting is projected to bring about significant cost savings to the airline in both fuel and maintenance, and also enhance fl ight punctuality.”
The new aircraft will replace the airline’s existing fl eet of A320’s. SriLankan currently has a fleet of 14 aircraft – five A320’s, four A330’s, and fi ve A340’s. Its oldest A320 is to be decommissioned this month, and a second by the end of the year.
The airline uses its A320’s to serve its 11 destinations in India, as well as Male and Karachi, and some cities in the Middle East. Its long-haul A330 and A340 aircraft serve Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Far East.
SriLankan re-launched services to Rome, to which it will operate three times a week, at the end of November. SriLankan also launched direct flights between London and Male.