• Airbus fleet drops from 24 to 17
• Monthly operations down from 3,600 to 2,400
• CEO admits to flight delays
• Unions blame previous governments

National carrier SriLankan Airlines is in dire need of expanding its Airbus fleet to avoid flight delays, a top SriLankan Airlines official told The Sunday Morning. 

The official revealed that the daily operations of the airline were currently being conducted by only around 17 Airbus aircraft, resulting in several flight delays being recorded each month. 

According to the official, the airline must have a minimum of 24 aircraft to ensure smooth operations without delays.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, a SriLankan Airlines passenger shared a recent experience: “I had a crazy flight delay on my way here… they only announced at 8.30 p.m. when I was leaving for the airport that the midnight flight to Melbourne had been delayed by three-and-a-half hours. Tourists and locals were complaining at a rate and the flight was full. Just like me, so many were saying that this would be the last time that they would fly UL (SriLankan). The interesting part is, it’s not a one-off thing but a recurring thing. They just lie and act like it’s a rare occurrence.”

Responding to the complaint, SriLankan Airlines CEO/Chairman Ashok Pathirage told The Sunday Morning that the situation was currently under control while admitting to delays in the recent past. 

“We have leased two aircraft and gradually the fleet is improving, so are the issues related to the lack of the required number of aircraft,” he said.

Prior to Covid-19, SriLankan Airlines had an all-Airbus fleet of 24 modern aircraft, which included 12 A330 (long-haul) and 12 A320/A321 aircraft (medium-haul). The airline operated a total of around 3,600 flights per month. However, at present, as per statistics, the airline operates nearly 2,400 flights per month with an average of 17 aircraft.

“This is a very complicated subject. We must have the required number of aircraft for smooth operation. All previous governments considered selling off this national asset. Nobody wanted to develop the national carrier, and, as a result, the infrastructure facilities of the airline saw a drastic decline, but now the situation is improving,” Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya (SLNSS) SriLankan Airlines Branch General Secretary Janaka Pathirathna said.

He told The Sunday Morning that it was difficult to manage the flights with the available aircraft as it was complicated to prioritise the operations over cancellations.

“As an example, earlier we had two flights to London, but it has now been reduced to one. When there is a shortage of aircraft, the flights to India get cancelled most of the time. But when such a flight is cancelled, then the number of transit passengers from India to Melbourne is reduced.

“Long-distance flights such as Melbourne are important as we earn good revenue from those flights. But in managing the aircraft shortage and minimising delays, cancelling short-distance flights to India won’t help, as due to such cancellations, the aircraft will only be available for one to three hours. This is a very serious and complicated situation,” Pathirathna explained, adding that another aircraft would be leased by the airline in the coming months.