SriLankan Airlines adds first new widebody in seven years
SriLankan Airlines has taken delivery of its first widebody aircraft in seven years, marking a key step in the carrier’s efforts to rebuild long-haul capacity following prolonged aircraft shortages and earlier cancellations of fleet expansion plans.
The Airbus A330-200, bearing registration 4R-ALT, touched down at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport on 4 June, after being ferried in from France.
The aircraft – being leased for eight years from Carlyle Aviation Partners – began its journey at the aircraft parking facility in Chateauroux, central France on 3 June. It stopped in Paris Charles de Gaulle and continued to Colombo, touching down the following morning.
The arrival of the twin-aisle aircraft comes at a crucial time for the state-owned airline, which has faced sustained fleet pressures in recent years. A combination of engine supply issues and the earlier decision to withdraw from previously agreed wide-body orders had left SriLankan short of aircraft for its medium and long-haul network. Sri Lanka was ordered to pay $170 million to AerCap Holdings in 2016 for cancelling a lease for four A350s.
“This marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for SriLankan Airlines, both operationally and in shaping our long-term fleet strategy,” Sarath Ganegoda, the chairman of SriLankan Airlines, was quoted as saying.
“The addition of this aircraft enhances our capacity to meet the growing demand, while strengthening our contribution to national tourism goals.
“As Sri Lanka continues to ascend as a top-tier travel destination, this aircraft will play a key role in connecting global travellers to Sri Lanka.”
The newly arrived A330 is expected to operate on international routes, where demand has returned to or exceeded pre-pandemic levels. SriLankan currently maintains a network across South Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Far East, with a fleet that has relied heavily on a limited number of A330s.
Ganegoda also confirmed that the earlier cabinet-approved plan to acquire four A330s on operating leases had been cancelled, and said the airline is in the process of negotiating for two new aircraft.
The previous agreement, approved in April 2024, would have seen the state-owned carrier lease two aircraft from ORIX Aviation for six years, and another two from Aergo Capital Limited on eight-year terms.
