SriLankan Airlines Soars with Fleet Expansion Plans

SriLankan Airlines plans to expand its fleet by adding two more aircraft by the end of the year. This expansion includes the recent addition of an Airbus A330-200, marking the first wide-body aircraft inclusion in eight years. The airline aims to connect new, profitable routes.

SriLankan Airlines, the national airline of Sri Lanka, announced on Wednesday its strategy to augment its fleet by the year's end with two more aircraft. This announcement was part of a ceremony welcoming the new Airbus A330-200.

Sarath Ganegoda, chairman of SriLankan Airlines, highlighted the airline's ambition to connect with more profitable routes such as Beijing-Colombo, Nairobi-Colombo, and destinations in Australia and East Africa. The current fleet comprises 23 aircraft, with a mix of 10 wide-body and 13 narrow-body planes.

This fleet expansion comes in the wake of the International Monetary Fund's 2023 bailout, urging reforms to divest loss-making state enterprises, a category that includes SriLankan Airlines.

(With inputs from agencies.)