SriLankan Airlines facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
SriLankan Airlines
ශ්‍රී ලංකන් ගුවන් සේවය
இலங்கை விமான சேவை

Founded	10 December 1979; 45 years ago (1979-12-10) (as Air Lanka)
Commenced operations	1979; 46 years ago (1979)
Hubs	Colombo–Bandaranaike
Frequent-flyer program	FlySmiLes
Alliance	Oneworld
Subsidiaries	SriLankan Catering SriLankan Ground Handling SriLankan Engineering
Fleet size	21
Destinations	35
Parent company	Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation
Headquarters	Airline Centre Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, Sri Lanka
Key people	Ashok Pathirage (Chairman) Richard Nuttall (CEO)
Revenue	Rs 365.171 billion (2023)
Operating income	Rs 40.743 billion (2023)
Profit	Rs −73.621 billion (2023)
Total assets	Rs 199.45 billion (2023)
Total equity	Rs −509.174 billion (2023)
Employees	5,440 (2023)

SriLankan Airlines is the main airline of Sri Lanka. It is known as the country's flag carrier. The airline is also a member of the Oneworld airline alliance.

As of 2024, SriLankan Airlines is the largest airline in Sri Lanka. It has the most aircraft and flies to the most places. The airline started in 1979 as Air Lanka. This happened after the previous national airline, Air Ceylon, stopped flying.

In 1998, a company called Emirates bought part of Air Lanka. The airline then changed its name to SriLankan Airlines. It also got a new look for its planes. In 2008, the government of Sri Lanka bought back all the shares from Emirates. Even after this, the airline kept its new name and logo. SriLankan Airlines flies over 560 times a week, mostly across Asia.

SriLankan Airlines officially joined the Oneworld airline alliance on May 1, 2014.

History of SriLankan Airlines

Early Years as Air Lanka

An Air Lanka Boeing 747-200B at London Gatwick Airport in 1984.

An Air Lanka Lockheed L-1011 TriStar at Zurich Airport in 1998.

Air Lanka was created in 1979. It became Sri Lanka's national airline after the old one, Air Ceylon, closed down.

At first, Air Lanka used two Boeing 707 planes. These were rented from Singapore Airlines. They also rented a Boeing 737 from Maersk Air. Later, they got another Boeing 737 from Royal Brunei.

In 1980, Air Lanka started using larger planes called Lockheed L1011-1 Tristar. These were rented from Air Canada. By 1982, Air Lanka bought some Tristar planes of its own. The older Boeing 707 planes were then taken out of service.

Air Lanka was the first airline in Asia to use the Airbus A340-300 in 1994.

Becoming SriLankan Airlines

A now-retired SriLankan Airlines A340-300.

In 1998, Air Lanka changed. The Dubai-based Emirates Group invested in the airline. They signed a ten-year agreement to work together. Emirates bought a 40% share in Air Lanka. They wanted to improve the airline's image and its fleet of planes.

The government of Sri Lanka still owned most of the airline. But Emirates was in charge of investments and management. In 1998, Air Lanka officially changed its name to SriLankan Airlines.

SriLankan Airlines bought six Airbus A330-200 planes. These joined their existing Airbus A340-300 and A320-200 aircraft. The airline also updated the inside of its planes. They added new business and economy class seats.

The airline started flying to more places. They added many new routes in India and the Middle East. For example, Jeddah became their 51st destination.

In 2008, Emirates decided not to continue its management contract. It ended on March 31, 2008. Emirates sold its share back to the Government of Sri Lanka in 2010. This ended their partnership.

Modern Times

A DHC-6 Twin Otter floatplane used as part of SriLankan's Air-Taxi service.

After Emirates left in 2008, SriLankan Airlines faced financial challenges. The government took full control again.

SriLankan Airlines started to promote Colombo as a major hub for flights to Asia. They began flying to Shanghai in 2010 and Guangzhou in 2011.

On May 1, 2014, SriLankan joined the Oneworld alliance. In 2014, they also started to update their fleet. They bought new Airbus A330 and A350 planes. Today, SriLankan mostly uses Airbus planes. The last Airbus A340-300 was retired in 2016.

The airline stopped flying to some European cities like Frankfurt, Paris, and Rome by the end of 2016. However, the Frankfurt and Paris routes were restarted in 2020.

In October 2016, SriLankan took over the operations of its sister airline, Mihin Lanka. This added ten new destinations to SriLankan's network.

In October 2017, SriLankan started direct daily flights to Melbourne, Australia. This was their first new long-haul route in over five years. It brought back a direct air link between Australia and Sri Lanka after 16 years. This route has become very popular.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, SriLankan Airlines flew cargo and special relief flights. They even flew a relief flight out of Wuhan, China, in February 2020.

In 2022, Sri Lanka faced an economic crisis. Due to fuel shortages, SriLankan's long-haul flights sometimes had to stop in India to refuel.

For the financial year 2022–2023, SriLankan Airlines made a small profit of $3 million. This was the first time in over ten years. In 2023, SriLankan Airlines won an award for "Best Inflight Food or Beverage Innovation."

Airline Design and Look

Livery (Plane Design)

The Air Lanka logo (1979-1998).

The first design for Air Lanka planes had red stripes on a white body. The tail was solid red and showed the airline's logo. This logo was a special flying peacock, known as "Dandu Monara." It came from ancient Sri Lankan stories. The red color on the tail also represented the main ethnic group in Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese people. This design was used from 1979 to 1998.

When Air Lanka became SriLankan Airlines in 1998, the design changed. The planes became all white with blue "SriLankan" words on the side. The tail had a new logo.

In 2014, when SriLankan Airlines joined oneworld, some planes got a special oneworld design. Newer planes also have a blue underside with a slogan promoting Sri Lanka for tourism.

Other Businesses

SriLankan Catering is a company owned by SriLankan Airlines. It provides food for all airlines flying from Bandaranaike International Airport.

The airline also offers other services. These include plane maintenance, ground handling at the airport, and training for aviation.

Where SriLankan Airlines Flies

SriLankan Airlines flies to 117 places directly. They also work with other airlines to reach 35 cities in 21 countries. Because they are part of the Oneworld alliance, passengers can connect to over 1,000 cities in 160 countries.

SriLankan is the largest foreign airline flying to India. It serves 14 cities there. It is also the largest foreign airline in the Maldives, flying to 2 cities.

Airline Partnerships (Alliances)

On June 11, 2012, SriLankan Airlines announced it would join the Oneworld alliance. Cathay Pacific helped SriLankan Airlines prepare for this. SriLankan Airlines officially joined on May 1, 2014. It was the first airline from the Indian Subcontinent to join Oneworld.

Sharing Flights (Codeshare Agreements)

SriLankan Airlines shares flights with these airlines:

Connecting Flights (Interline Agreements)

SriLankan Airlines also has agreements to connect flights with these airlines:

SriLankan Airlines Fleet (Planes)

(L-R) SriLankan Airlines Airbus A320-200, Airbus A320neo, Airbus A330-200 and Airbus A330-300

Current Planes

As of March 2024, SriLankan Airlines uses only Airbus planes. Here are the types they have:

SriLankan Airlines fleet
Aircraft	In service	Orders	Passengers			Notes
Aircraft	In service	Orders	B	E	Total	Notes
Airbus A320-200	6	—	16	120	136
			12	138	150
			12	150	162
Airbus A320neo	2	—	12	138	150
Airbus A321neo	4	—	12	176	188
Airbus A330-200	2	—	18	251	269
Airbus A330-200	2	—	18	252	270
Airbus A330-300	7	—	28	269	297
Total	21	—

Plane Development

SriLankan Airlines got its first Airbus plane in 1992. This was an Airbus A320-200. It flew to nearby places like the Maldives and India. The Airbus A340-300 arrived in 1994. SriLankan was the first airline in Asia to use the A340. Later, Airbus A330-200 planes were delivered.

In 2013, SriLankan Airlines planned to buy four Airbus A350-900 and seven A330-300 planes. The A330-300s started arriving in 2014. The A350-900s were supposed to come later. However, in 2016, the airline canceled its order for eight A350 aircraft due to money problems.

As of late 2023, SriLankan Airlines is looking to replace some older planes. They plan to get five new narrow-body aircraft.

Naming of Aircraft

4R-ABM, an A320-214 named after the City of Anuradhapura

SriLankan Airlines names some of its planes after important towns and cities in Sri Lanka. For example, some planes are named after Anuradapura, Yalpanam, and Sri Jayawardenapura.

Past Planes (Historic Fleet)

SriLankan Airlines used to operate these aircraft:

SriLankan Airlines former fleet
Aircraft	Fleet	Introduced	Retired	Notes
Airbus A300B4	1	2000	2000
Airbus A320-200/A321-200	14	1992	2023	4R-ABA was damaged in 2001 during an attack
Airbus A330-200	6	2000	2024	4R-ALE and 4R-ALF were damaged in 2001 during an attack
Airbus A340-300	7	1994	2016	First Asian airline to operate Airbus A340 quad-jet, 4R-ADD was damaged in 2001 during an attack
Boeing 707-320	3	1979	1983
Boeing 737-200	6	1980	1995
Boeing 737-300	1	1992	1992
Boeing 747-200	2	1984	1987
Boeing 767-300ER	1	2010	2010
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar	18	1980	2000
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar	1	1980	1986	UL 512 was damaged during an attack at Bandaranaike International Airport

Services on Board

Cabin Classes

A330-200 Business Class Cabin

Flagship A330-300 Business Class Cabin

SriLankan Airlines offers two types of seating: Business Class and Economy Class.

In Business Class, on long-haul flights, you can find seats that turn into a flat bed. These seats are about 19.5 inches wide and become a 79-inch long bed. Each seat has a 15-inch screen for movies and shows. Newer planes have even more advanced entertainment systems. On the A330-300 planes, Business Class seats are arranged so everyone has direct access to the aisle.

On A320 and A321 planes, Business Class seats are wider (19 inches) and have more legroom.

In Economy Class, on most large planes, you also get in-seat entertainment. On the newer A330-300 and A320/A321neo planes, you can pay for Wi-Fi and use your mobile phone during the flight.

Entertainment on Board

In-flight entertainment on the A320 fleet and Business Class catering on a flight from Mahé.

SriLankan Airlines offers movies, TV shows, and music on its planes. The A320, A321, and A330-200 planes have the RAVE ZODAIC system. The newer A330-300 planes have the latest Thales AVANT system.

SriLankan also provides Wi-Fi on its new Airbus A330-300 and A320/A321neo planes. They were the first airline in South Asia to offer Wi-Fi on board.

Food and Drinks (Catering)

SriLankan Catering depot at Bandaranaike International.

SriLankan Catering Limited is the only company that provides food for airlines in Sri Lanka. Their main kitchen is at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). It can make 25,000 meals every day.

This company started in 1979 as Air Lanka Catering Services Limited. It became a full part of SriLankan Airlines in 1998.

Frequent Flyer Program

SriLankan Airlines has a program for frequent travelers called FlySmiLes. This program lets you earn points when you fly. You can then use these points for rewards.

When SriLankan Airlines joined the Oneworld alliance, new membership levels were added. This gives members more benefits when they fly with any Oneworld airline.

There are four membership levels in FlySmiLes:

FlySmiLes Blue: The basic level.
FlySmiLes Classic: Gives you Oneworld Ruby benefits.
FlySmiLes Gold: Gives you Oneworld Sapphire benefits.
FlySmiLes Platinum: Gives you Oneworld Emerald benefits.

FlySmiLes partners include all Oneworld airlines, Cinnamon Air, and Etihad Airways.

Incidents and Safety

Most of the incidents where SriLankan Airlines planes were damaged or people were hurt happened during the civil conflict in Sri Lanka.

1980s Incident

On May 3, 1986, an explosion happened on board Flight UL512. This occurred before the plane took off at Bandaranaike International Airport. The explosion happened while the Lockheed L-1011 'Tristar' plane was on the ground. 21 out of 128 passengers died.

1990s Incident

In 1992, an Air Lanka Boeing 737-200 had a landing gear problem at Madras airport (now Chennai International Airport). The right landing gear failed when the plane landed. The plane stopped safely, and all 104 passengers and 12 crew members got out without injuries. The plane was later repaired.

2000s Incident

On July 24, 2001, there was an attack at the Bandaranaike International Airport. During this event, two of SriLankan Airlines' Airbus A330 planes (4R-ALE and 4R-ALF), one A320 (4R-ABA), and one A340 (4R-ADD) were destroyed. Two other planes were also damaged.

Future Plans (Potential Privatisation)

After the economic crisis in Sri Lanka in 2022, the government is looking to sell some state-owned companies. SriLankan Airlines is one of them. The government wants to sell a majority share of the airline.

Several companies have shown interest in buying parts of SriLankan Airlines. These include a company linked to AirAsia, FitsAir (a Sri Lankan airline), and Hayleys PLC (a large company in Sri Lanka).

The government plans to finish this process by September 2024.