02/10/2020
🇱🇰 FLY LANKAN ASIA – An Airline with a futuristic solution for the growth of our nation
Fly Lankan Asia (Pvt.) Ltd. having realized the void of regular domestic operations for passengers and the expensive payments made for cargo operations, growth of individuals came up witha novel idea that would profit our nation in the long run. Fly Lankan Asia thereby, was conceptualized with the objective of serving and fulfilling these underserved segments which are also a part of the aviation industry in Sri Lanka. Since a major opportunity was presented, the Fly Lankan Asia Management ventured into the aviation sector by starting up an airline which operates from the Asia Pacific Region to the Gulf using Mattala and Ratmalana as a transit hub. This airline will cater pilgrim passengers and cargo carriage will be more affordable that will in a turn boost our export. Quantity and capture greater market share in the global market place.
The board of Directors of Fly Lankan Asia has been actively engaged in the airline sector of Sri Lanka for almost a decade while being successful in passenger and MRO operations and have strong ties with the Ceylon Aeronautical Services (Pvt.) Ltd. Having seen the different changes, new trends and fluctuations, the board has a wide array of knowledge and skills is a key to driving a new solution for these pending issues. The major shareholder is based in the USA and has several operations across the globe including its presence in Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia etc.
Fly Lankan Asia has submitted their formal application for the Air Operator Certificate and approval is currently under verification and in progress.
They also have a highly qualified team to lead and bring to life these operations at the right time. The Fly Lankan management informed us that the DG of the CAA and his team are ensuring that all these processes will happen in a timely way and manner.
The current target destinations for regional flights are Chennai, Bangalore, Maldives, Jaffna and Batticalo whilst the passenger flights will be to Indonesia, Malaysia, Jeddah, and Dhaka. Cargo flights will be to Bangalore, Maldives, Lahore and Dhaka, Singapore, Thailand etc. Domestic & International operations will originate from Ratmalana and Mattala whilst Cargo will operate from Katunayake. International operations will also focus on moving pilgrims (Umrah and Hajj) and migrant work passengers. Their fleet includes B737-200, BAE 146, A320-200 and A330-200. Line Maintenance by local entity such as CAS and other major maintenance will be outsourced to third party contractors.
Consequently, employment will be provided across the aviation spectrum and during the initial stages, third party services from established operators will be used until the operation matures which thereafter, Fly Lankan Asia’s own team will take over, providing direct and indirect employment opportunities.
The Board of Directors comprise of Mr. Sivarasa Sivananthan, Mr. Suresh Edirisinghe, Mr. Sampath Ranaweera, Mr. Nivran Weerakoon and with Mr. AVM Jayanath Kumarasiri as CEO.
Mr. Jayanath Kumarasiri declared that “The board has a very successful and realistic vision and mission and I as the proud CEO of Fly Lankan Asia have a great team that would execute and perform above par and make the mission a success and our vision come true.”
Mr. Nathan states that Fly Lankan Asia will stand out from other operating airlines due to it being in line with a passengers budget and having an exceptional service. He also goes on to say, “We are not looking to compete with Sri Lankan Airlines and that is the reason we are trying to fly out of the areas where the former is not operational in order to bridge this gap”. He explains as to how Sri Lanka is losing out on opportunities since no enough attention is given to cargo and even so, cargo carriers are very expensive. When a specific focus is given to cargo which will be done by Fly Lankan Asia, opportunities will be given to exporters in order to boost their exports which is one of the main goals of “the newly appointed government and thereby, will make Sri Lanka self-sufficient.
Mr. Nivran Weerakoon voiced his opinion with regard to the possible outcome of this project which he claimed would birth many new job opportunities as Fly Lankan Asia is planning to run passenger flights from the outskirts of Colombo, thus giving fair opportunities to citizens in the suburbs and city as well. Focusing on export orientation is also a major factor that will lead to the success of this project as increase in exports will not just bring an increase in foreign revenue but also will help to increase aggregate demand and cause higher economic growth.
Mr. Sampath Ranaweera mentioned that in a period of time where the whole world has come to a standstill due to the new normal caused by the pandemic, only a limited number of options for cargo operations connecting local products to end users are available which in turn may incur a higher cost. Fly Lankan Asia being a low cost carrier and a cargo operator can help bridge this gap and to make local producers arrive safely to the end user at a more affordable cost, while being on par with global competition. Having a budget carrier will not just help passengers but will also help to increase arrivals to the country once the pace for travel and tourism picks up.
On a concluding note, the board of directors stated that the collective experience of the team is the key factor that will help this operation to be carried out successfully and profitably. They also hope to create Mattala as a hub just as Katunayake is at the moment. Flights will commence when all necessary factors align, for there to be a smooth departure for Fly Lankan Asia.
By: Teshani Warusavithane
