SriLankan to acquire aircraft
SriLankan Airlines will acquire its first brand new aircraft in more
than a decade, among the seven aircraft it plans to take delivery of by
the end of 2011. They include five Airbus A320s, including three brand
new aircraft, and two Twin Otter floatplanes.
SriLankan's CEO Manoj Gunawardena said: "We will be celebrating an
important new chapter in the history of SriLankan Airlines with the
arrival of this large number of aircraft within a short period.
They will allow SriLankan to significantly enhance the passenger
experience on board our flights, give us the ability to fly to more
cities in the Subcontinent, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and to
also increase capacity to existing destinations in these regions."
The last time Sri Lanka's National Carrier took delivery of a brand
new aircraft was in June of 2000, when it received the last of six
A330-200s.
The three brand new aircraft are scheduled to be acquired in from
May-November 2011, and will sport the latest comforts and entertainment
systems including Audio-Video On Demand (AVOD) in both Business and
Economy Classes. These three aircraft would be preceded by two other
A320s which are likely to arrive in December 2010 and early 2011.
All five aircraft would be on operating leases at very attractive
terms of monthly payments. In addition, two Twin Otters are to be
acquired for the re-launch of its domestic service SriLankan Air Taxi
this winter.
The airline is also exploring the possibility of obtaining at least
one more long-haul wide-body aircraft to launch services to more new
destinations in Europe and the Far East. |