108-504: SriLankan Airlines is the flag carrier of Sri Lanka and a member airline of the Oneworld airline alliance . It was launched in 1979 as Air Lanka following the termination of operations of the original Sri Lankan flag carrier Air Ceylon . As of April 2024, it is Sri Lanka's main airline by number of aircraft and destinations. Its hub is Bandaranaike International Airport . Following its partial acquisition in 1998 by Emirates , it
216-644: A public company or a state-owned enterprise , while others have been completely privatized . The aviation industry has also been gradually deregulated and liberalized, permitting greater freedoms of the air particularly in the United States and in the European Union with the signing of the Open Skies agreement. One of the features of such agreements is the right of a country to designate multiple airlines to serve international routes with
324-418: A 19.5 inches wide seat that can be reclined into a 180-degree 79 inches long bed. Each seat has a 15-inch personal IFE system. SriLankan's newest fleet additions will feature Thales Avant IFE, which features modern entertainment features and extended business class seats. Its A330-300 fleet presents an all-aisle access seating in a 1-2-1 arrangement on Business Class. On its A320 and A321 fleet, Business class
432-605: A 2.74 m (9 ft 0 in) tall winglet instead of the wingtip fences found on earlier Airbus aircraft. The shared wing design with the A340 allowed the A330 to incorporate aerodynamic features developed for the former aircraft. The failure of International Aero Engines ' radical ultra-high-bypass V2500 "SuperFan", which had promised around 15 per cent fuel burn reduction for the A340, led to multiple enhancements including wing upgrades to compensate. Originally designed with
540-785: A 56 m (180 ft) span , the wing was later extended to 58.6 m (190 ft) and finally to 60.3 m (200 ft). At 60.3 m (200 ft), the wingspan is similar to that of the larger Boeing 747-200 , but with 35 percent less wing area. The A330 and A340 fuselage is based on that of the Airbus A300 -600, with many common parts, and has the same external and cabin width: 5.64 m (19 ft) and 5.26 m (17 ft). Typical seating arrangements are 2–2–2 six-abreast in business class and 2–4–2 eight-abreast in economy class . The fin, rudder, elevators, horizontal tail plane (used as fuel tank), flaps, ailerons, and spoilers are made of composite materials , making 10% of
648-414: A UNP attorney as executive directors. None of them knew how to run an airline. Air Lanka was established as the flag carrier of Sri Lanka once the government shut down the bankrupt Air Ceylon . Air Lanka's initial fleet consisted of two Boeing 707 , leased from Singapore Airlines . One Boeing 737 was leased from Maersk Air and maintained by Air Tara. On 24 April 1980, the lease ended; Air Lanka received
756-451: A decade-long partnership with Emirates, the name was changed to SriLankan Airlines; the livery was changed into a much simpler one, with an all-white fuselage, covered by blue 'SriLankan' titles, and the tail adorned with the new corporate logo. In May 2014, an Airbus A330 and an Airbus A320 in special oneworld livery was delivered to commemorate the airline's establishment as a oneworld member. Newly delivered aircraft are adorned with
864-408: A distinctive bulbous "blister fairing". This raises the aircraft's nose so that the cargo deck is level during loading, as the standard A330's landing gear results the plane having a nose-down attitude while on the ground. The A330-200F made its maiden flight on 5 November 2009. This marked the start of a four-month, 180-hour certification programme. JAA and FAA certifications were expected by March
972-561: A fatal crash occurred during certification of the Pratt & Whitney engine when an A330 crashed near Toulouse. Both pilots and the five passengers died. The flight was designed to test autopilot response during a one-engine-off worst-case scenario with the centre of gravity near its aft limit . Shortly after takeoff, the pilots had difficulty setting the autopilot, and the aircraft lost speed and crashed. An investigation by an internal branch of Direction Générale d'Aviation concluded that
1080-652: A hub for flights to Asia. The first destination of the expansion plan was Shanghai ; the route was initiated on 1 July 2010. The airline commenced flights to Guangzhou on 28 January 2011. SriLankan joined the Oneworld alliance on 1 May 2014. During 2014 it started to renew and increase its fleet, with purchases of Airbus A330 and A350 models. Currently, SriLankan operates an all-Airbus fleet except for its discontinued Air-Taxi services. SriLankan retired their last Airbus A340-300 on 7 January 2016 with its last scheduled flight from Chennai to Colombo. The airline terminated three European routes – Frankfurt, Paris and Rome – by
1188-643: A letter of intent for twenty A340s and ten A330s on 31 March. In 2001, the program cost with the A340 was $ 3.5 billion (equivalent to $ 5.75 billion in 2023) . BAe eventually received £450 million of funding from the UK government, well short of the £750 million it had originally requested for the design and construction of the wings. The German and French governments also provided funding. Airbus issued subcontracts to companies in Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Greece, Italy, India, Japan, South Korea, Portugal,
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#17327984639061296-520: A long slender wing with a very high aspect ratio to provide high aerodynamic efficiency. The wing is swept back at 30 degrees and, along with other design features, allows a maximum operating Mach number of 0.86. To reach a long span and high aspect ratio without a large weight penalty, the wing has relatively high thickness-to-chord ratio of 11.8% or 12.8%. Jet airliners have Thickness-to-chord ratios ranging from 9.4% ( MD-11 or Boeing 747 ) to 13% ( Avro RJ or 737 Classic ). Each wing also has
1404-405: A lower maximum takeoff weight of 202 tonnes (445,000 lb), coupled with de-rated engines, giving a range of 7,400 km (4,000 nmi; 4,600 mi). It was aimed at Singapore Airlines , who had looked to replace its Airbus A310-300s. The variant was also to be a replacement for Airbus A300-600Rs and early Boeing 767s. Airlines, however, were not satisfied with the compromised aircraft;
1512-693: A redesigned livery accompanying a blue underbelly slogan promoting Sri Lanka as a tourist destination. SriLankan Catering is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SriLankan Airlines, providing flight catering services to all airlines serving the Bandaranaike International Airport . Its other businesses include provision of aircraft maintenance and overhaul services, ground handling services, packaged holiday products, aviation training and IT services. As of September 2024 SriLankan itself flies to 37 destinations and 21 countries. Including code-shares with other airlines, it provides services to
1620-551: A relief flight out of Wuhan , China. SriLankan lost 36.3 billion rupees up to August 2020 and the government approved a voluntary retirement package for 560 employees at a cost of 1.46 billion rupees. From May 2022, due to the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka which resulted in the country facing a fuel shortage, SriLankan's long-haul flights had to make stopovers at Trivandrum , Chennai and Kochi in India to refuel. For
1728-515: A replacement Boeing 737 leased from Royal Brunei . On 1 November 1980, Air Lanka commenced wide-body operations which were leased Lockheed L1011-1 Tristar from Air Canada . On 15 April 1982, Air Lanka purchased an L1011 Tristar from All Nippon Airways . Another L1011 was leased from Air Canada whilst a third was purchased from All Nippon. With the introduction of Tristar aircraft, the Boeing 707 were phased out. On 1 May 1982, HAECO took over
1836-450: A result, development plans prioritised the four-engined TA11 ahead of the TA9. The first specifications for the TA9 and TA11, aircraft that could accommodate 410 passengers in a one-class layout, emerged in 1982. They showed a large underfloor cargo area that could hold five cargo pallets or sixteen LD3 cargo containers in the forward, and four pallets or fourteen LD3s in the aft hold—double
1944-491: A three-storey technical centre with 15,000 m (161,000 sq ft) of floor area at Filton . In north Wales, BAe also spent £5 million on a new production line at its Broughton wing production plant. In Germany, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) invested DM 400 million ($ 225 million) on manufacturing facilities in the Weser estuary, including at Bremen , Einswarden, Varel , and Hamburg . France saw
2052-480: A total of 1,496 A330ceos had been ordered, with 1,437 delivered. In December 2014, Airbus announced that it would reduce A330 production to nine aircraft per month from ten, because of falling orders. Airbus did not rule out any further production cuts. The announcement led to an immediate drop in Airbus Group's stock price because the company derived a significant percentage of its cash flow and net profit from
2160-457: A total of 114 destinations in 62 countries. Its interline partnerships and membership in Oneworld alliance allow it to offer passengers connectivity to over 1,000 cities in 160 countries. SriLankan currently operates to 14 destinations in India, more than any other foreign airline. It is also the largest foreign airline in the Maldives, serving two cities. On 11 June 2012, SriLankan Airlines
2268-453: A total of four membership tiers as of May 2014. They are: Flag carrier A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state , enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by the government for international operations. Historically, the term was used to refer to airlines owned by the government of their home country and associated with
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#17327984639062376-585: A wing virtually identical to that of the A340-200/300. On the A330-300, one engine is installed at the inboard pylon while the outboard pylon position is not used; for the A340-300, both engine pylons are used, which allows the A340-300 wing to sustain a higher (wing-limited) MTOW. This is as the A340's two engines at each wing provide a more equal force distribution (engine weight) over the wing, while also
2484-605: Is configured in a 2-2 layout, offering extra reclining seats, each seat with a width of 19 inches and a pitch between 39 and 49 inches. SriLankan provides in-seat entertainment in Economy class on all its wide-bodied aircraft and the vast majority of narrow-body aircraft. On its A330-300 and A320/A321neo aircraft, all cabin classes are provided with the option of paid-for in-flight internet access and mobile telephony services. SriLankan Airlines offer AVOD inflight entertainment on its aircraft. The A320, A321 & A330-200 equipped with
2592-445: Is in-flight catering to airlines that operate to Bandaranaike International Airport . Its state-of-the-art flight kitchen at BIA has a capacity of 25,000 meals per day. Incorporated in 1979, as Air Lanka Catering Services Limited with BOI status, SriLankan Catering commenced business as a joint venture with Thai Airways International. In 1998 when the joint venture agreement with Thai Airways International lapsed Air Lanka Limited bought
2700-483: Is now in a position to finalise the detailed technical definition of the TA9, now officially designated as the A330, and the TA11, now called the A340, with potential launch customer airlines, and to discuss with them the terms and conditions for launch commitments. The designations were originally reversed and were switched so the quad-jet airliner would have a "4" in its name. Airbus hoped for five airlines to sign for both
2808-474: Is the largest operator with 72 airplanes in its fleet as of October 2024 . A total of 1,835 orders have been placed for the A330 family, of which 1,615 have been delivered and 1,469 are in service with 148 operators. The global A330 fleet had accumulated more than 65 million flight hours since its entry into service. The A330 is the second most delivered wide-body airliner after the Boeing 777 . It competes with
2916-503: Is the only available option to increase capacity. The first customer for the A330 Regional was announced as Saudia at the 2015 Paris Air Show. In 2018, the unit cost of an A330-200 was US$ 238.5M, US$ 264.2M for an A330-300 and US$ 241.7M for an A330-200F. The A330neo ("neo" for "New Engine Option") is a development from the initial A330 (now A330 ceo — "Current Engine Option"). A new version with modern engines developed for
3024-488: The A330-300 and the future A350-900. As of January 2016, construction of the airline's first Airbus A350-900 started. On 23 February 2015, SriLankan Airlines finalized a deal with Air Lease Corporation and AerCap to acquire two Airbus A321neo aircraft, one from each leasing firm. On 10 May 2016, due to financial difficulties, the airline announced it would cancel its order of eight A350 aircraft. As of December 2019,
3132-563: The A330neo . The COVID-19 pandemic reduced demand for new jets in 2020, and Airbus cut its monthly production from 4.5 to 2 A330s. In September 2020, the A330 reached a milestone of 1500 deliveries, Airbus's first twin-aisle aircraft to do so, and the third overall after the Boeing 747 and 777. The A330 is a medium-size, wide-body aircraft, with two engines suspended on pylons under the wings. A two-wheel nose undercarriage and two four-wheel bogie main legs built by Messier-Dowty support
3240-511: The Boeing 767 , smaller variants of the Boeing 777, and the 787 . It is complemented by the larger Airbus A350 , which succeeded the four-engined A340. Airbus's first airliner, the A300, was envisioned as part of a diverse family of commercial aircraft. Pursuing this goal, studies began in the early 1970s into derivatives of the A300. Before introducing the A300, Airbus identified nine possible variations designated B1 through B9. A tenth variant,
3348-755: The Boeing 787 was called for by owners of the current A330. It was launched in July 2014 at the Farnborough Airshow , promising 14% better fuel economy per seat . It will use the larger Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 exclusively. Its two versions are based on the A330-200 and -300: the -800 should cover 8,150 nmi (15,090 km; 9,380 mi) with 257 passengers while the -900 should cover 7,200 nmi (13,330 km; 8,290 mi) with 287 passengers. The -900 made its first flight on 19 October 2017, received its EASA type certificate on 26 September 2018, and
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3456-804: The Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS), which covers navigation and flight displays, as well as the Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor (ECAM). Apart from the flight deck, the A330 also has the fly-by-wire system common to the A320 family, the A340, the A350 , and the A380 . It also features three primary and two secondary flight control systems , as well as a flight envelope limit protection system which prevents maneuvers from exceeding
3564-785: The GE CF6 -80, the PW4000 and the A340-500/600's Trent 500 aimed for 5% better SFC than the A300-600. Its 44.8 m (147 ft) wing allowed a 173 t (381,000 lb) MTOW and 4,200 nmi (7,770 km; 4,830 mi) range. In May, the 210-260 seat design had evolved towards keeping the A330 60.3 m (198 ft) span wing and engines for a 195 t MTOW and 4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) range. Interested customers included Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and Hapag-Lloyd. Announced in July at Farnborough Air Show ,
3672-736: The General Electric CF6 , Pratt & Whitney PW4000 , or the Rolls-Royce Trent 700 . The A330-300 has a range of 11,750 km (6,340 nmi; 7,300 mi) with 277 passengers, while the shorter A330-200 can cover 13,450 km (7,260 nmi; 8,360 mi) with 247 passengers. Other variants include the A330-200F dedicated freighter , the A330 MRTT military tanker , and the ACJ330 corporate jet. The A330 MRTT
3780-425: The airframe of the early A340 variants, most notably the same wing components, and by extension the same structure. However, the A330 has two main landing gear legs instead of three, lower weights, and slightly different fuselage lengths. Both airliners have fly-by-wire controls as well as a similar glass cockpit to increase the commonality . The A330 was Airbus's first airliner to offer a choice of three engines:
3888-479: The composite materials in the PW4168 engine's thrust reverser assembly. Thai Airways received its first A330 during the second half of the year, operating it on routes from Bangkok to Taipei and Seoul . Cathay Pacific received its Trent 700 A330s following the certification of that engine on 22 December 1994. MAS received its A330 on 1 February 1995 and then rescheduled its other ten orders. Its initial range
3996-457: The vertical stabiliser , rudder , and circular fuselage sections of the A300-600, extended by two barrel sections. Airbus briefly considered the variable camber wing , a concept that requires changing the wing profile for a given phase of flight. Studies were carried out by British Aerospace (BAe), now part of BAE Systems , at Hatfield and Bristol . Airbus estimated this would yield a two per cent improvement in aerodynamic efficiency, but
4104-516: The "Five Precepts" (Pancha Seela) of Buddhism and the three "crown feathers" represent the "Triple Gem" (Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha) of Buddhism. Red reflects the predominant colour in the Sri Lankan national flag, which represents the majority race in the country, the Sinhalese. This was the sole livery of the airline for nearly two decades, from January 1979 to October 1998. After Air Lanka began
4212-531: The "main national airline" and often a sign of their country's presence abroad. The heavily regulated aviation industry also meant aviation rights are often negotiated between governments, denying airlines access to an open market. These Bilateral Air Transport Agreements similar to the Bermuda I and Bermuda II agreements specify rights awardable only to locally registered airlines, forcing some governments to jump-start airlines to avoid being disadvantaged in
4320-559: The -400, and a "super-stretch" using the A340-600 's 22-frame stretch and powered by 400 kN (90,000 lbf) engines, the -600. In February 2000 it was reported that a 250-seat A330-100 replacement for the A300/A310 could be launched by year end for 2003 deliveries. Shortened and keeping its fly-by-wire cockpit and systems, with a cleaner A300-600 wing with sealed control surfaces and winglets and at least two new engine types among
4428-492: The -500 first flight was targeted for early 2003 and introduction in early 2004. ILFC would take 10 if it was launched and CIT was interested too. The eight-frame shrink would carry 222 in three classes or 266 in two classes. Its initial 13,000 km (7,000 nmi; 8,100 mi) range would be followed by derated versions for 8,000 km (4,300 nmi; 5,000 mi). The market was lukewarm as airlines like Lufthansa, Hapag-Lloyd and Singapore Airlines were unimpressed by
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4536-534: The A300B10, was conceived in 1973 and developed into the longer-range Airbus A310 . Airbus then focused its efforts on single-aisle (SA) studies, conceiving a family of airliners later known as the Airbus A320 family , the first commercial aircraft with digital fly-by-wire controls. During these studies Airbus turned its focus back to the wide-body aircraft market, simultaneously working on both projects. In
4644-475: The A330 and A340, and on 12 May sent sale proposals to the most likely candidates, including Lufthansa and Swissair . From the beginning of the TA9's development, a choice of engines from the three major engine manufacturers, Rolls-Royce , Pratt & Whitney , and GE Aviation , was planned. GE Aviation first offered the CF6-80C2 . However, later studies indicated that more thrust was needed to increase
4752-454: The A330 became the first aircraft to receive ETOPS–240 approval, which has since been offered by Airbus as an option. As of September 2024 , the global A330 fleet of 1,471 aircraft had 12 years average aircraft age (≈2.5 years for A330neo), opened more than 350 new city pairs since the launch of the Boeing 787 in 2011, and accumulated more than 65 million flight hours since its entry into service with 99.2% operational reliability. With
4860-433: The A330 program; the A330's financial impact was magnified amid problems in the A350 and A380 programs. In February 2015, Airbus announced another production rate cut to six aircraft per month in the first quarter of 2016. This would extend A330ceo production to July 2017, allowing for a smooth transition to A330neo production, which was set to start in spring 2017. In February 2016, Airbus announced it would re-increase
4968-634: The A330 using in-service experience. Airbus suggested that the A340 and the A330 were essentially identical except for their engine number, and that the A340's experience could be applied to the A330's ETOPS approval. The plans were for all three engine types to enter service with 90-minute approval, before increasing to 120 minutes after the total A330 fleet accumulated 25,000 flight hours, and then to 180 minutes after 50,000 flight hours, in 1995. Aer Lingus and Cathay Pacific were two important airlines assisting Airbus in this endeavour by building up in-service flight hours on over-ocean flights. In November 2009,
5076-642: The A330-200 would offer nine per cent lower operating costs than the Boeing 767-300ER. The plane was aimed at the 11,900 km (6,430 nmi ; 7,390 mi ) sector, where Airbus predicted demand for 800 aircraft between 1995 and 2015. The project, with US$ 450 million in expected development costs, was approved by the Airbus Industrie Supervisory Board on 24 November 1995. The A330-200 first flew on 13 August 1997. The sixteen-month certification process involved logging 630 hours of test flights. The A330-200's first customer
5184-468: The Airbus A330-200F, a freighter derivative of the A330-200, around 2001. The freighter has a range of 7,400 km (4,000 nmi; 4,600 mi) with a 65 tonnes (140,000 lb) payload, or 5,900 km (3,200 nmi; 3,700 mi) with 70 tonnes (150,000 lb). The plane utilises the same nosegear as the passenger version; however, it is attached lower in the fuselage and housed in
5292-723: The B9 was seen as a viable replacement for the DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar trijets. It was also considered as a medium-ranged successor to the A300. At the same time, a 200-seat four-engine version, the B11 (which would eventually become the A340) was also under development. The B11 was originally planned to take the place of narrow-body Boeing 707s and Douglas DC-8s then in commercial use, but would later evolve to target
5400-561: The RAVE ZODAIC Inflight Entertainment. The new A330-300 have the latest Thales AVANT Inflight Programme. SriLankan offers onboard WiFi connectivity with new Airbus A330-300 and A320/A321neo fleets in partnership with OnAir. SriLankan is South Asia's first airline to have on-board WiFi capability. SriLankan Catering Limited is the sole airline caterer in Sri Lanka. Its hub is at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). SriLankan Catering's main line of business
5508-620: The RFPs, SriLankan received one A320 aircraft on 21 December 2023. The airline names some of its aircraft after historically significant towns and cities in Sri Lanka, with aircraft named after Anuradapura , Yalpanam , Yapahuwa , Sri Jayawardenapura , and others. SriLankan also formerly operated the following aircraft: SriLankan offers two classes of service, Business Class and Economy Class. In Business Class, SriLankan offers full flat-bed seats on all of its long haul fleet with Audio Video on Demand (AVOD) facilities. The fully flat bed seat offers
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#17327984639065616-646: The United States, and the former Yugoslavia. With funding in place, Airbus launched the A330 and A340 programmes on 5 June 1987, just before the Paris Air Show . At that time, the order book stood at 130 aircraft from ten customers, including lessor International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). Of the order total, forty-one were for A330s. In 1989, Asian carrier Cathay Pacific joined the list of purchasers, ordering nine A330s and later increasing this number to eleven. The wing-to-fuselage mating of
5724-425: The accident resulted from slow response and incorrect actions by the crew during the recovery. This led to a revision of A330 operating procedures. Air Inter became the first operator of the A330, having put the aircraft into service on 17 January 1994 between Orly Airport , Paris, and Marseille . Deliveries to Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Thai Airways International were postponed to address delamination of
5832-411: The aeroplane on the ground. Its MTOW grew from 212 tonnes (467,000 lb) at introduction to 242 tonnes (534,000 lb) in 2015, enhancing its payload-range performance. John Leahy states that originally the A330 was intentionally being held down in takeoff weight and performance in order to avoid overlapping with the A340. The airframe of the A330 features a low-wing cantilever monoplane with
5940-619: The aircraft's aerodynamic and structural limits. Airbus intended the A330 to compete in the Extended-range Twin-engine Operation Performance Standards (ETOPS) market, specifically with the Boeing 767. (ETOPS is a standard that allows longer range flights away from a diversion airport for aircraft that have met special design and testing standards.) Instead of the "ETOPS out of the box" or "Early ETOPS" approach taken by Boeing with its 777, Airbus gradually increased ETOPS approval on
6048-485: The airline back to the Government of Sri Lanka in a deal that was finalized in 2010, thus ending their partnership. In 2008 when Emirates pulled out, the accumulated profit of SriLankan was Rs. 9.288 billion in that financial year. From 2008 to 2015, when the government ran it, the loss for the seven years was Rs. 128.238 billion (US$ 875 million). Following the ownership transfer, SriLankan began promoting Colombo as
6156-532: The airline to Captain Rakitha Wickramanayake and the board of directors consisting of industry officials and managers. The former Prime Minister of Singapore asked, "How could an airline pilot run an airline?" A 1986 Presidential Commission reported on the mismanagement of the Board of the airline. Under President Wijetunga 's appointment of a retired General as Chairman/MD with Air Vice Marshals and
6264-465: The airline's image and fleet. The government retained a majority stake in the airline but gave full control to Emirates for investment and management decisions. In 1998, Air Lanka re-branded to SriLankan Airlines. SriLankan acquired 6 Airbus A330-200s to complement its fleet of Airbus A340-300 and A320-200 aircraft. The A330-200 aircraft joined the airline between October 1999 and July 2000. The company's fourth A340-300 arrived at Colombo painted in
6372-634: The airline's new corporate livery. SriLankan upgraded its existing A340 fleet into a two-class configuration (business and economy class) whilst overhauling the interior to reflect the new corporate image. The airline gradually increased its number of destinations with more additions for regional markets, notably India and the Middle East. Whilst continuing expansion in the region, SriLankan commenced flying to Jeddah , its third destination in Saudi Arabia, after Riyadh and Dammam , thus increasing
6480-517: The biggest investments, with Aérospatiale constructing a new Fr. 2.5 billion ($ 411 million) final-assembly plant adjacent to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in Colomiers ; by November 1988, the pillars for the new Clément Ader assembly hall had been erected. The assembly process featured increased automation, such as robots drilling holes and installing fasteners during the wing-to-fuselage mating process. On 12 March 1987, Airbus received
6588-487: The cancellation of its A340 orders. The first completed A330 was rolled out on 14 October 1992, with the maiden flight following on 2 November. Weighing 181,840 kg (401,000 lb), including 20,980 kg (46,300 lb) of test equipment, the A330 became the largest twinjet to have flown until the first flight of the Boeing 777 . The flight lasted five hours and fifteen minutes during which speed, height, and other flight configurations were tested. Airbus intended
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#17327984639066696-677: The capacity of the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar or DC-10, and 8.46 metres (27.8 ft) longer than the Airbus A300. By June 1985, the TA9 and TA11 had received more improvements, including the adoption of the A320 flight deck , digital fly-by-wire (FBW) control system, and side-stick control. Airbus had developed a common cockpit for their aircraft models to allow quick transition by pilots. The flight crews could transition from one type to another after only one week's training, which reduces operator costs. The two TAs would use
6804-538: The company instead proceeded with an entirely new aircraft, the A350 XWB . Initially, the GE90 was only one of three Boeing 777 options, and GE Aviation then-CEO Brian H. Rowe would have paid for the development of putting it on an A330; however, Airbus' strategy for long-haul was the four-engine A340 , missing the market favouring twins. Responding to lagging A300-600F and A310F sales, Airbus began marketing
6912-416: The early days of commercial aviation when governments often took the lead by establishing state-owned airlines because of the high capital costs of running them. However, not all such airlines were government-owned; Pan Am , TWA , Cathay Pacific , Union de Transports Aériens , Canadian Pacific Air Lines and Olympic Airlines were all privately owned, but were considered to be flag carriers as they were
7020-691: The end of 2016. On 2020, the Frankfurt and Paris routes were resumed. The airline absorbed the operations of sister carrier Mihin Lanka in October 2016, in a bid to create a single stronger national airline for Sri Lanka. Accordingly, SriLankan took over two of Mihin Lanka's aircraft and absorbed its route network, adding ten new destinations to SriLankan's route network. In October 2017, SriLankan launched direct daily non-stop flights to Melbourne , Australia, its first new long-haul route in over five years and
7128-421: The face of foreign competition. Some countries also establish flag carriers such as Israel 's El Al or Lebanon 's Middle East Airlines for nationalist reasons or to aid the country's economy, particularly in the area of tourism. In many cases, governments would directly assist in the growth of their flag carriers typically through subsidies and other fiscal incentives. The establishment of competitors in
7236-481: The fan size from 94 in (2.39 m) to 100 in (2.54 m), enabling the engine to deliver 311 kN (69,900 lbf) of thrust. Like the CF6-80E1, 34 blades were used instead of the 38 found on the smaller PW4000 engines. In preparation for the production of the A330 and the A340, Airbus's partners invested heavily in new facilities. In south-western England, BAe made a £ 7 million investment in
7344-495: The feature was rejected because of cost and difficulty of development. A true laminar flow wing (a low-drag shape that improves fuel efficiency) was also considered but rejected. With necessary funding available, the Airbus Supervisory Board approved the development of the A330 and A340 with potential customers on 27 January 1986. Its chairman Franz Josef Strauss stated afterwards that Airbus Industrie
7452-478: The financial year 2022–2023, SriLankan Airlines achieved a break-even for the first time in over a decade and posted a net profit of $ 3 million. SriLankan Airlines won the 2024 IFSA Best Inflight Food or Beverage Innovation Award at the APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) and IFSA (International Flight Services Association) Global Expo October 2023. The key trends of Sri Lankan Airlines (mainline) are as at
7560-457: The financial year ending 31 March: The company's head office is at Airline Centre, Bandaranaike International Airport , Katunayake . The initial livery consisted of red stripes on a white fuselage. The tail was solid red and sported the corporate logo, a stylised vimana locally known as "Dandu Monara" (Flying Peacock Aircraft) of King Ravana of ancient "Lanka", Ravana , as per the famous "Ramayana" mythology. The five "tail feathers" represent
7668-450: The first A330, the tenth airframe of the A330 and A340 line, began in mid-February 1992. This aircraft, coated with anti-corrosion paint, was rolled out on 31 March without its General Electric CF6-80E1 engines, which were installed by August. During a static test, the wing failed just below requirement; BAe engineers later resolved the problem. At the 1992 Farnborough Airshow , Northwest deferred delivery of sixteen A330s to 1994, following
7776-493: The first orders for the twinjet. Domestic French airline Air Inter placed five firm orders and fifteen options , while Thai Airways International requested eight aircraft, split evenly between firm orders and options. Airbus announced the next day that it would formally launch the A330 and A340 programmes by April 1987, with deliveries of the A340 to begin in May 1992 and A330 deliveries to start in 1993. Northwest Airlines signed
7884-550: The following airlines: SriLankan Airlines have interline agreements with the following airlines: As of March 2024, SriLankan Airlines operates an all- Airbus fleet composed of the following aircraft: The airline received its first Airbus aircraft in 1992; the Airbus A320-200 began flying to destinations in the Maldives , Pakistan , and southern India. The Airbus A340-300 was delivered in 1994. The airline
7992-769: The following year although approval by the JAA was delayed until April. The first delivery was subsequently made to the Etihad Airways cargo division, Etihad Cargo, in July 2010. On 25 September 2013 at the Aviation Expo China (Beijing Airshow), Airbus announced a new lower weight A330-300 variant, optimised for use on domestic and regional routes in high growth markets with large populations and concentrated traffic flows; China and India were recognised as prime targets. This variant could carry up to 400 passengers. The increased efficiency, however, comes more from
8100-406: The form of other locally registered airlines may be prohibited or heavily regulated to avoid direct competition. Even where privately run airlines may be allowed to be established, the flag carriers may still be accorded priority, especially in the apportionment of aviation rights to local or international markets. Near the end of the 20th century, many of these airlines have been corporatized as
8208-528: The four aircraft of Airbus A350-900 remained in the Airbus monthly order book and had yet to be cancelled or converted to A330-900 orders. In April 2021 SriLankan announced its plans to retire 6-7 aircraft from its fleet. To replace the retiring aircraft, SriLankan have planned A350 and A330neo aircraft. After government approvals, SriLankan requested proposals for a six-year dry lease for five narrow-body aircraft and wet lease wide-body aircraft in late 2023. As per
8316-497: The highest for any Airbus wide-body aircraft. In 2012, Airbus expected the A330 to continue selling until at least 2020, with the A350-900 expected to replace the A330-300. On 19 July 2013, Airbus delivered its 1000th A330 to Cathay Pacific. The A330 became the first Airbus wide-body airliner to reach 1,000 deliveries, and the fourth wide-body to achieve the milestone after the Boeing 747 , 767 , and 777 . As of January 2019,
8424-534: The initial power capability from 267 to 289 kN (60,000 to 65,000 lbf ). GE enlarged the CF6-80C2 fan from 236 to 244 centimetres (92.9 to 96.1 in) and reduced the number of fan blades from 38 to 34 to create the CF6-80E1 with a thrust of 300–320 kN (67,000–72,000 lbf). Rolls-Royce initially wanted to use the 267 kN (60,000 lbf) Trent 600 to power Airbus's newest twinjet and
8532-458: The installation of more seats than any weight reduction. On relatively short, yet congested routes, the A330 competes against single-aisle jetliners. While the A330's operating costs in these conditions are not far above those of the Boeing 737 or Airbus A321, the A320neo and 737 MAX promise more efficiency. Where the frequency of flights cannot be increased, using larger aircraft, such as the A330,
8640-463: The long-range A330-500, favouring a more refined short-range design. Lack of airline demand made lessors interest wane and as ILFC would order as 30 -500s, it would be with converting rights to larger A330-200/300. To compete with Boeing's 7E7 (later 787), Airbus offered a minimum-change derivative called the A330-200 Lite in 2004. As the name indicated, this proposed variant would have had
8748-959: The long-range, wide-body trijet replacement market. To differentiate from the SA series, the B9 and B11 were re-designated as the TA9 and TA11, with TA standing for "twin aisle". Development costs were reduced by the two aircraft using the same fuselage and wing, with projected savings of US$ 500 million. Another factor was the split preference of those within Airbus and, more importantly, those of prospective customers; twinjets were favoured in North America, quad-jets desired in Asia, and operators had mixed views in Europe. Airbus ultimately found that most potential customers favoured four engines for their exemption from existing twinjet range restrictions and their ability to be ferried with one inactive engine. As
8856-565: The maintenance of the two Air Lanka-owned Tristars, while Air Canada maintained two leased Tristars. On 28 March 1980, Air Lanka signed a purchase agreement for two brand new Lockheed L1011-500 Tristars , the most advanced wide-body aircraft in the world at that time. The first Lockheed L1011-500 (4R-ULA) was accepted on 26 August 1982, at Palmdale , California . It was flown to Amsterdam as UL flight 566P. On 28 August, 4R-ULA "City of Colombo" left for its inaugural flight from Amsterdam to Colombo as UL566. It reached Colombo on 29 August. This
8964-594: The mid-1970s, Airbus began development of the A300B9, a larger derivative of the A300, which would eventually become the A330. The B9 was essentially a lengthened A300 with the same wing, coupled with the most powerful turbofan engines available. It was targeted at the growing demand for high-capacity, medium-range, transcontinental trunk routes. Offering the same range and payload as the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 but with 25 per cent better fuel efficiency,
9072-656: The mid-1970s, giving rise to the A330 twinjet as well as the Airbus A340 quadjet , and launched both designs along with their first orders in June 1987. The A330-300, the first variant, took its maiden flight in November 1992 and entered service with Air Inter in January 1994. The A330-200, a shortened longer-range variant, followed in 1998 with Canada 3000 as the launch operator. The A330 shares many underpinnings with
9180-462: The most ambitious expansion to date. The flights restore a regular direct air link between Australia and Sri Lanka after a hiatus of sixteen years. This route has proved particularly popular and has been responsible with increased numbers of Australian tourists holidaying in Sri Lanka. During the COVID-19 pandemic, SriLankan performed cargo and operating relief flights. On 1 February 2020 it operated
9288-467: The national identity of that country. Such an airline may also be known as a national airline or a national carrier , although this can have different legal meanings in some countries. Today, it is any international airline with a strong connection to its home country or that represents its home country internationally, regardless of whether it is government-owned. Flag carriers may also be known as such due to laws requiring aircraft or ships to display
9396-475: The number of destinations in the Middle East to nine. Jeddah became the airline's 51st destination overall. In 2008, Emirates notified the Sri Lankan Government that it would not renew its management contract, which then expired on 31 March 2008. It claimed that the Sri Lankan Government was seeking greater control over the day-to-day management of the airline. Emirates sold its 43.63% stake in
9504-403: The partnership between the two airlines concluded on 31 March 2008. SriLankan subsequently launched FlySmiLes , which has since added a variety of new reward partners to its program. New membership tiers were added after the airline's enrollment to the one world alliance to accommodate Oneworld membership tiers, gaining better privileges for members when aboard all Oneworld airlines. There are
9612-498: The production rate from 6 to 7 per month, in response to new A330 orders. In April 2018, as a result of weakening demand, Airbus announced further rate cuts to 4-5 aircraft a month (50 per year) in 2019. In 2019, Airbus delivered 53 A330s (including 41 A330neos), including some delayed from 2018, and was set to reach a rate of 40 per year, to reflect softer demand for wide-bodies, as the backlog reached 331 (including 293 A330neos) − or 8.3 years' worth of production. The last A330-200
9720-522: The result that there is no single "flag carrier". The chart below lists airlines considered to be a "flag carrier", based on current or former state ownership or other verifiable designation as a national airline. Minority (20.05%) in the Lufthansa Group acquired in 2020 was sold in 2022. Airbus A330-200 The Airbus A330 is a wide-body aircraft developed and produced by Airbus . Airbus began developing larger A300 derivatives in
9828-578: The shares of the joint venture partner and thus Air Lanka Catering Services became the fully owned subsidiary of SriLankan Airlines Limited. Thereafter the Company changed its name to SriLankan Catering (Private) Limited in September 2000. SriLankan's first frequent-flyer programme was called Serendib Miles and was abandoned in early 2000. It then became a partner of Emirates' Skywards frequent-flyer program. However, this agreement ceased to exist when
9936-474: The state flag of the country of their registry . For example, under the law of the United States, a U.S. flag air carrier is any airline that holds a certificate under Section 401 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (i.e., any U.S.-based airline operating internationally), and any ship registered in the United States is known as a U.S. flag vessel . The term "flag carrier" is a legacy of
10044-478: The structure weight. When necessary, the A330 uses the Honeywell 331–350C auxiliary power unit (APU) to provide pneumatics and electrical power. The A330 shares the same glass cockpit flight deck layout as the A320 and the A340, featuring electronic instrument displays rather than mechanical gauges. Instead of a conventional control yoke , the flight deck features side-stick controls, six main displays, and
10152-698: The test flight programme to comprise six aircraft flying a total of 1,800 hours. On 21 October 1993, the Airbus A330 received the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifications simultaneously after 1,114 cumulative airborne test hours and 426 test flights. At the same time, weight tests came in favourable, showing the plane was 500 kg (1,100 lb) underweight. On 30 June 1994,
10260-410: The total engine weight counteracting moment is located more outboard with more engine weight located further outboard on the wing, hence the wing root bending moment with equal TOW is less on the A340-300 than on the A330-300. The A340 has a longer range and heavier payload, while the A330 has better fuel economy over the same distance. The wings were designed and manufactured by BAe, which developed
10368-544: The upcoming McDonnell Douglas MD-11 . However, the company later agreed to develop an engine solely for the A330, the Trent 700 , with a larger diameter and 311 kN (69,900 lbf) of thrust. The A330 became the first Airbus aircraft for which Rolls-Royce supplied engines. Similarly, Pratt & Whitney signed an agreement that covered the development of the A330-exclusive PW4168 . The company increased
10476-430: Was ILFC; these aircraft were leased by Canada 3000 , who became the type's first operator. As Airbus worked on its A330-200, hydraulic pump problems were reported by both A330 and A340 operators. This issue was the suspected cause of a fire that destroyed an Air France A340-200 in January 1994. On 4 January of that year, a Malaysia Airlines A330-300, while undergoing regular maintenance at Singapore Changi Airport ,
10584-622: Was announced as Oneworld 's latest member-elect, on the sidelines of the IATA World Air Transport Summit in Beijing. Cathay Pacific served as SriLankan Airlines' sponsor through its alliance implementation program. Membership implementation lasted approximately 18 months. SriLankan Airlines joined the airline alliance on 1 May 2014 as the first carrier from the Indian subcontinent. SriLankan Airlines codeshares with
10692-430: Was announced that SriLankan Airlines had won government approval to acquire four Airbus A350-900 and seven A330-300 aircraft, with deliveries of the A330-300 starting from October 2014. Deliveries for the ordered A350-900s are set to commence in 2019. A further three Airbus A350-900s were leased, with deliveries of these aircraft starting in 2017. SriLankan retired its last Airbus A340-300 on 7 January 2016, replaced by
10800-539: Was around 4,000 nautical miles but subsequent refinements increased the range of newer models to 5,000 nautical miles and by 2015, the range was 6,100 nautical miles. In response to a decline in A330-300 sales, increased market penetration by the Boeing 767-300ER , and airline requests for increased range and smaller aircraft, Airbus developed the Airbus A330-200. Known as the A329 and A330M10 during development,
10908-406: Was consumed by a fire that started in the right-hand main undercarriage well. The incident caused US$ 30 million in damage, and the aircraft took six months to repair. Consequently, operators were advised to disable electrical pumps in January 1997. In 1996 Airbus evaluated a 12-frame stretch which would be able to carry 380 passengers over almost 7,000 km (3,800 nmi; 4,300 mi),
11016-451: Was delivered to OpenSkies (operating for LEVEL ) on October 1, 2019, registered F-HLVN (subsequently reregistered EC-NNH in 2021). The last A330-300 built was registered EI-EIN and flown to Brussels Airport on February 28, 2020; Aer Lingus took delivery on 4 March 2020. At the time, four completed A330-300s for troubled Hong Kong Airlines were still undelivered. A330 MRTT /KC-30B and BelugaXL production both continue alongside that of
11124-520: Was first delivered to TAP Air Portugal on 26 November. The -800 made its first flight on 6 November 2018, aiming for a mid-2019 type certification and delivery in the first half of 2020. Airbus announced in February 2011 that it intended to raise production rates from seven-and-a-half/eight per month to nine per month in 2012, and ten in 2013. Production increased to 10 aircraft per month in April 2013,
11232-540: Was followed by the second Lockheed L1011-500 , 4R-ULB, "City of Jayawardanapura". On 8 June 1984 the airline received its first Boeing 747-200B "King Vijaya" and the second joined later. The aircraft were used on flights to Europe and a few flights to southeast Asia. However they were retired in 1987. In 1994, Air Lanka became the Asian Launch Customer of the Airbus A340-300 . Air Lanka, which
11340-859: Was proposed as the EADS/Northrop Grumman KC-45 for the US Air Force's KC-X competition, but lost to the Boeing KC-46 in appeal after an initial win. In July 2014, Airbus announced the re-engined A330neo ( new engine option ) comprising A330-800 and -900, which entered service with TAP Air Portugal in December 2018. With the exclusive, more efficient Trent 7000 turbofan and improvements including sharklets , it offers up to 14% better fuel economy per seat . The first-generation A330s (-200, -200F, and -300) are now called A330ceo ( current engine option ). Delta Air Lines
11448-566: Was re-branded and the current livery was introduced. In 2008, the government of Sri Lanka acquired all the shares of the airline from Emirates. After ending the Emirates partnership, it retained its re-branded name and logo. SriLankan Airlines operates over 560 flights per week across Asia. SriLankan Airlines joined Oneworld airline alliance on 1 May 2014. In 1979, after the removal of airline manager Nimesh Fernando, Sri Lanka's president Jayawardene initially did not interfere after entrusting
11556-523: Was state-owned, was partially privatized in 1998, with investment by Dubai -based Emirates Group , when Emirates and the Sri Lankan government signed an agreement for a ten-year strategic partnership. This agreement included exclusive rights for all aircraft ground handling and airline catering at Colombo-Bandaranaike airport for ten years. Emirates bought a 40% stake worth US$ 70 million (which it later increased to 43.6%) in Air Lanka and sought to refurbish
11664-504: Was the first in Asia to use the A340. The Airbus A330-200 aircraft were delivered later. In 2012, SriLankan Airlines aimed to boost its fleet to 35 aircraft over the next five years and had talks with both Airbus and Boeing regarding a deal. SriLankan's former CEO Kapila Chandrasena stated that the carrier wanted to add either Airbus A330-300 , Boeing 787-8 or Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to its fleet to replace its Airbus A340-300s, with deliveries beginning in 2013–2014. In April 2013, it
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