SriLankan to be grilled by COPE next Monday

The senior management of SriLankan Airlines had been summoned before the COPE to inquire into its current performance, COPE Chairman Prof. Charitha Herath said.

SriLankan Airlines is scheduled to appear before COPE next Monday (25) at 10.00 am.

The Chairman of COPE stated that the SriLankan management will also be questioned about its bidding process for the lease of 21 aircraft that made headlines recently.

Sri Lanka’s national carrier, SriLankan Airlines, announced, on 14 April, that it had made four requests for proposal (RFPs) to lease up to 21 aircraft to support its long-term business strategy.

The airline announced that the order included two RFPs covering existing fleet types (320 and 330 family aircraft) and two parallel RFPs to compare with alternative aircraft types.

Roughly 60 percent of the planned aircraft will be for fleet replacement, and the remainder would be to support the airline’s expansion strategy and meet the growing demand for air travel between Sri Lanka and the world, it said.

In 2019, SriLankan had an all-Airbus fleet of 27 wide and narrow-bodied aircraft to service its short and long-haul operations.

The airline said that during the pandemic there were no replacements for three aircraft that left the fleet.

The airline currently has 24 aircraft to operate to 40 destinations in 25 countries.

Issuing a press release SriLankan said it was planning for measured growth in the next three years through frequency increases and the addition of new destinations as international travel is in a trajectory of recovery from the pandemic.

The business plan of the airline necessitates a 35-aircraft-strong fleet by 2025.

Additionally, it is critical to lease replacement aircraft when existing aircraft leases expire to sustain operations. Considering these factors, SriLankan plans to lease up to 21 aircraft from the forthcoming RFP process, the airline said.