DARSHANA SANJEEWA BALASURIYA 
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SriLankan Airlines welcomes first wide-body aircraft in seven years
- Current SriLankan fleet includes 10 wide-body and 13 narrow-body aircraft
- First wide-body aircraft added to the fleet after a 7-year gap
- Features wireless in-flight entertainment and USB charging at every seat
- 18 Business Class and 242 Economy Class seats
- Powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines
- Chairman says SriLankan will no longer burden public finances
By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya
SriLankan Airlines yesterday welcomed an Airbus A330-200 wide-body aircraft to its existing fleet of 22 aircraft, aiming to expand its services. The state-run airline expects to add at least two more aircraft by the end of this year.
The aircraft arrived from Paris and performed a low fly-past over Colombo and Katunayake before touching down at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). This latest addition brings SriLankan’s fleet to 23 aircraft. The decision to expand the fleet was taken by the previous government’s cabinet and the then Board of Directors.
Chairman of SriLankan Airlines, Sarath Ganegoda said that the SriLankan fleet comprises 10 wide-body aircraft and 13 narrow-body aircraft.
He said that the new Board of Directors at SriLankan Airlines did not proceed with the previous government’s cabinet decision to buy two more wide-body aircraft due to concerns about their fitness.
“They had got cabinet approval for two more wide-bodied aircraft, but we had to stall two where we felt that there were some concerns and doubts about their fitness,” the Chairman said after officially receiving the new A330 aircraft.
“This addition would further strengthen our destinations and also our customer service, our on-time arrivals. And also, it’s not easy for us to compete with other airlines with our hardware. So, where we could differentiate ourselves is our service. We are very well known for our service and excellent hospitality. And that is one aspect we could differentiate,” he said.
The Chairman noted that they are already connected to more than 37 destinations in various countries, and with the addition of the newest A330-200 to the fleet, SriLankan Airlines could further strengthen its connectivity.
“This would enable us to offer a much better and much more efficient service to our passengers. Every employee of the airline, their families, their children, and every single Sri Lankan can be very proud of this. So that is our task,” he said.
When asked about the lease term, how many years, and how much SriLankan is going to pay, the Chairman was reluctant to share the numbers. He said they obtained the lease from a company in France for eight years under an extended lease arrangement.
When asked about the rationale behind this expansion and the expected return on investment, he said, “Well, there are so many profitable routes that we can’t connect due to a lack of aircraft. Even this is not sufficient. As per our plan, we’ll add at least two more aircraft by the end of this year. If everything goes well, we believe that it would be possible. So you asked the rationale—there is a scale that you need to operate this airline,” he said.
The Chairman mentioned that they have missed out on many profitable routes like Beijing-Colombo and Nairobi-Colombo.
“That’s one of the best connections to Australia and East Africa. So, several very profitable routes we can’t connect because of the lack of aircraft,” he said.
Sri Lanka’s previous government, in April 2024, approved the state-run SriLankan Airlines to acquire four wide-body aircraft on an operating lease basis, including two from ORIX Aviation for six years at a fee of US$360,000 and another two from Aergo Capital Limited for eight years at a fee of US$365,000.
SriLankan, under its new Board of Directors after the new government came into power in November last year, is in the process of developing a five-year plan from 2025/26 to 2029/30.
SriLankan had planned to boost its market share from “Colombo to the rest of the world” from the current 35 per cent to 45 per cent.
SriLankan Airlines has yet to finalise restructuring its balance sheets.
In the 2025 budget, the government allocated 20 billion rupees to settle the legacy debt of the loss-making airline.
Under a previous five-year plan, the state enterprise ended up in a controversial re-fleeting deal to acquire A350 aircraft. In post-war plans, it was also expected to become profitable by 2013.
“There was a decision by the previous government to buy four wide-bodied aircraft, two from ORIX and two from Aergo. But it was cancelled, and currently, there is nothing in the pipeline at the moment. However, we are negotiating with various parties to acquire a couple more wide-bodied aircraft,” Mr. Ganegoda said.
When asked how soon the new aircraft will be operational and which route the airline plans to serve, he said they will require at least 10 days to launch commercial operations.
“With this new aircraft, we think we can save a lot of money. We can also improve our on-time arrivals. We have a well-repurposed aircraft. We can also improve our passenger experience. So we expect good results,” the Chairman said.
The Chairman also said that the airline does not have to depend on the Treasury. “We are 100% independent. As you know, under the IMF support package, there are restrictions on how much the Treasury can help or finance. So with this, we believe that we can stand on our own feet, without being a burden on the people,” he said.
Meanwhile, Acting Chief Executive Officer and Group CFO at SriLankan Airlines, Yasantha Dissanayake, said that the new aircraft also features in-flight amenities that meet the expectations of today’s traveller and provide a more comfortable flying experience.
“This is the first wide-body aircraft to be inducted into the fleet after a lapse of seven years. It will allow us to expand our reach in both existing and new markets, offering improved flight times, better connectivity, and more direct services to the country, whilst enhancing cargo capacity in support of Sri Lanka’s export trade.”
Chief Technical Officer of SriLankan Airlines, Capt. Patrick Fernando, said the aircraft is equipped with wireless in-flight entertainment and individual USB charging ports at every seat for enhanced passenger convenience. It is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines and presents a two-class configuration with 18 Business Class and 242 Economy Class seats. The aircraft will serve both long-haul and select short-haul routes.
Airbus welcomed with a water salute
Landing
Economy class
Washroom
Cockpit
Business class
Economy class
SriLankan crew
Pics by Nisal Baduge
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