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  • Originally posted by Sandaru View Post
    4R-ANB performed first flight on 20th March
    https://a320archive.com/msn/7535
    4R-ANB/F-WWIQ (s.n 7535) First Flight

    Comment


    • Sri Lankan Airlines A321neo

      Coming up
      1. s.n. 7663 - D-AVYO
      2. s.n. 7697 - D-AZAB

      Production site:XFW

      Comment


      • Wow great stuff
        ​Umedha Hettigoda ®

        https://banners-my.flightradar24.com/umedhah.png

        Comment


        • Airbus contracts end up in London court

          By Namini Wijedasa

          SriLankan Airlines' board calls for ministerial inquiry against management; CEO justifies transactions


          An international company through which SriLankan Airlines extended leases on three A330-200 aircraft has filed action in London after the national carrier attempted to overturn the contracts saying they were not legally binding.

          This transpires against the backdrop of a major clash within SriLankan’s board of directors, with a faction saying CEO Suren Ratwatte signed the contracts without approval–a charge that he vehemently denies.

          A case was lodged in the commercial arm of the High Court of Justice earlier this month. The claimant–SASOF II Aviation Ireland Ltd–is seeking a declaration that SriLankan Airlines is contractually bound by the relevant extension agreements. It is also seeking an order that all rental payments falling under the extended leases are paid in accordance with the contracts; and costs. The Sunday Times has copy of the SASOF claim.

          The aircraft in question are three older A330-200s first leased by SriLankan in 2010. The original agreements were due to expire in January and February 2017. But Mr Ratwatte extended the leases last year despite a SriLankan board decision to do so only if three other planes (new A330-300s) were given on dry lease to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

          The PIA deal did not turn out as anticipated. The Pakistani carrier took only one aircraft on wet lease for several months before returning it to SriLankan. It did not lease the other two. SriLankan is yet to collect US$2 million plus interest from PIA whose own CEO is being investigated over the deal.

          At the board’s intervention, therefore, SriLankan wrote to SASOF giving notice that it will return the three A330-200s at the end of the original leases, ignoring the extension agreements. The carrier said the approval of its board to the extensions had been conditional upon dry lease agreements with PIA.

          “Your purported notice is rejected and your intended action is a breach of contract,” SASOF replied in writing to SriLankan. The conditionality attached to PIA leases was never discussed with SASOF. Nor was it agreed to by the company and forms no part of the extension agreements or any other binding contractual document, it said, before taking the matter to court.



          A legal battle, if it comes to that, will be costly. But detractors of the extension agreements say keeping the three long haul A330-200s will also impose a substantial financial burden on the cash-strapped airline. The monthly rental is about US$ 225,000 or Rs 34,146,000 for each aircraft. This amounts to more than Rs 1,229,256,000 for all three aircraft per year. (The rates are in the SASOF claim).

          For his part, Mr Ratwatte insists the leases on the older aircraft were decided as part of a restructuring plan which saw the urgent need for a reduction in aircraft lease costs. “If these aircraft were not extended, they would have had to be grounded beginning August 2016 for lease return checks,” he told the Sunday Times. “In order to forestall this (which is a very expensive exercise with no return on investment) and ensure the schedule could be flown, the decision was made to extend the leases on very favourable terms.”

          He said the monthly lease cost was reduced by fifty percent (the original was more than US$ 460,000 per aircraft per month) and the return conditions were reduced to a minimal sum, allowing the aircraft to be flown back to an airport designated by the lessor. “This resulted in immediate cash saving of US$ 43.8 million, which was the anticipated return cost,” he said.

          But Mr Ratwatte is up against at least half of the SriLankan board that maintains they did not approve the lease extensions. Last month, Directors Chanaka de Silva, Rajan Brito, Rakitha Jayawardena and Harendra K Balapatabendi wrote to Chairman Ajith Dias demanding an investigation into how the CEO had signed the contracts in excess of his mandate. They want an inquiry by the Ministry, Attorney General’s Department or an independent panel. The chairman has not complied.

          Separately, the Ministry of Public Enterprise Development has requested the SriLankan board for a report on whether the CEO had exceeded his mandate in entering into the lease extension agreements which are binding on SriLankan. The four directors say their own inquiries have caused them to collectively conclude that the management “appear to have clearly exceeded the Board Mandate and unnecessarily risked placing the Company to legal claims”.

          In other documents received by the Sunday Times, it is claimed that the CEO at meetings in 2017 did not inform the board that he had already signed the extension agreements in September last year. The extended agreements were “never tabled at a board meeting and/or intimated to the board”. And the board only ever ratified the extension of one aircraft for a month and the termination of the leases of the other two.

          Mr Ratwatte admits that management was instructed to attempt a short extension. But he also argues that the extensions of all three aircraft were approved by the board “as can be shown in company documentation”. Such evidence has been presented before and accepted by a ministerial committee appointed to arbitrate on this matter.

          These disputes and legal claims cannot come at a worse time for SriLankan. Just this weekend, a team arrived from Texas Pacific Group (TPG) which is shortlisted by the Government to take over the company’s management. The global private investment firm has hired a third party to carry out a due diligence–an appraisal of the business with a view to determining its assets and liabilities and evaluating its commercial potential.

          The SriLankan board is scheduled to meet on Wednesday. The airline now has 13 wide-body and 10 narrow-body aircraft in its fleet. It will experience a surplus of aircraft in the summer season, a condition Mr Ratwatte says the company is trying to address.


          The CEO should be dismissed if he actually unilaterally extended the leases as alleged above.

          Comment


          • Originally posted by SKYBUCK729 View Post
            Is Gan A profitable route ?
            A ground handling member said with me that the load factor is low

            Comment


            • Originally posted by lordvader View Post
              http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170326/new...on-234231.html

              The CEO should be dismissed if he actually unilaterally extended the leases as alleged above.
              This is what happens when unqualified clowns are appointed to top positions - a complete disaster.

              More losses for the people of Sri Lanka.

              Nothing will happen- Suren "Big Noise" Ratwatte is protected at the highest levels.

              No investigation into the aircraft orders or the leasing agreements as far as I know. Don't expect that to change.

              It won't take the TPG Group long to figure out that there are minimal assets and massive debts - with a lot more to come.

              The only thing that concerns me is that the TPG Group has ties to Perpetual Treasuries - the Bond Scammers who have cost the people of Sri Lanka tens if not hundred of millions of dollars in stolen money. I can't help but wonder if there isn't another Racket being set up to fleece the people of Sri Lanka.
              Always fly a stable approach - it's the only stability you'll find this business

              Comment


              • Originally posted by lordvader View Post
                http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170326/new...on-234231.html

                The CEO should be dismissed if he actually unilaterally extended the leases as alleged above.
                I really don't know whether to cry or laugh with the actions of UL Management. The whole world must be laughing at our national carrier because of the political and management morons are playing selfishly with the life of UL.

                UL better off thinking how to use these 3 A330-200 until the extended lease complete. SL Gov better to close UL and allow some international airline to start a new airline from the scratch. SL gov should not interfere in Aviation business.

                Comment


                • Originally posted by ejanson65 View Post
                  The only thing that concerns me is that the TPG Group has ties to Perpetual Treasuries - the Bond Scammers who have cost the people of Sri Lanka tens if not hundred of millions of dollars in stolen money. I can't help but wonder if there isn't another Racket being set up to fleece the people of Sri Lanka.
                  Pretty sure this was a rumour spread through the media. TPG is a fairly well known American company who make acquisitions worldwide. Perpetual are small fish compared to TPG.

                  Although they are a private equity mob, I'd rather have TPG manage UL than the current lot. At least they'll install management who can make a profit.

                  Comment


                  • Originally posted by banuthev View Post
                    SL Gov better to close UL and allow some international airline to start a new airline from the scratch. SL gov should not interfere in Aviation business.
                    This could actually be the best option. Put UL into liquidation and run a transparent tender for two new airline licences. Remove any onerous restrictions on foreign ownership and you should get a few foreign airlines submitting bids for such licences, especially if the government further pursues open skies with India. These new airlines can then also re employ UL staff as required.

                    Comment


                    • Gamini Wethasinghe, Managing Director Peace Air at the Human Rights Commission yesterday.


                      Peace Air one of the three short listed bidders to take over and run SriLankan Airlines has made a complaint to the Human Rights Commission saying that they have not been called to provide Due Diligence for their bid.

                      Gamini Wethasinghe, Managing Director Peace Air said that the Government had informed that they would not be invited to exercise Due Diligence for the airline with Lufthansa Consulting.

                      “We have also forwarded a SWIFT of US $ 5.5 billion from Deutsche Bank in this regard. We think that our rights have being violated and hence have made complaint with the HRC.”

                      He told media yesterday that in addition they would also file a case in the Supreme Court on this same issue. Wethasinghe said that their bid is for US $ 5.5 billion and in addition have made another bid to run the Mattala Airport with a pledge of US $ 2,2 billion. “The government is yet to come back on our Mattala offer too.”

                      Asked by Daily News Bussness what they would do now he said they will bring in four A380 aircraft and run Peace Air from Colombo as a new airline.

                      dailynews.lk

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by Serendib View Post
                        Asked by Daily News Bussness what they would do now he said they will bring in four A380 aircraft and run Peace Air from Colombo as a new airline.
                        Actually, I found a USD 100 billion coin under my couch yesterday. I do not want to be out done by EK, so I am going to order 500 A388 and run them all out of RML.

                        And my Human Rights are preserved too

                        Comment


                        • Originally posted by Serendib View Post
                          Asked by Daily News Bussness what they would do now he said they will bring in four A380 aircraft and run Peace Air from Colombo as a new airline.
                          Thats a whole new level of stupidity!!!

                          Comment


                          • Hi,
                            Can you all post the issues and difficulties facing when you are trying to make an online booking through SriLankan Airlines's website. and suggest any improvement or enhancements you can think of in here?
                            I have a presentation to made regarding this matter, hopefully we can improve the website also.

                            !!THANKS!!

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by CSButterflyeffect View Post
                              Hi,
                              Can you all post the issues and difficulties facing when you are trying to make an online booking through SriLankan Airlines's website. and suggest any improvement or enhancements you can think of in here?
                              I have a presentation to made regarding this matter, hopefully we can improve the website also.

                              !!THANKS!!
                              Hi

                              Thank for doing that. Personally really didn't like the appearance of the current website of SriLankan Airlines. Its not attractive and not user-friendly. I think SriLankan should design a website similar to Emirates.

                              SriLankan's mobile website isn't working properly when ever I click on the links nothing happens. E.g. When I click to select the Departure Date the function isn't working. Also I can't process the online booking.

                              SriLankan's destination menu in online booking, flight schedule and route map are not up to date. E.g. After a long time Kunming was added to their drop down menu in flight schedule. I informed the SriLankan Airlines customer service and they were keep on ignoring my email.

                              Guys please add your comments too

                              Comment


                              • Originally posted by lordvader View Post
                                http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170326/new...on-234231.html

                                The CEO should be dismissed if he actually unilaterally extended the leases as alleged above.
                                3 x A359 were ordered initially to replace 3 x A332 in January 2017. But UL try to lease the 3 x A333 to PIA, cancel the 3 x A359 order and extend the leases of 3 x A332.

                                After 3 x A359 order cancelled and 3 x A332 leases have been extended , the PIA cancelled the deal of leasing 3 x A333 from UL.

                                Now UL is thinking how to utilise those 3 x A332 which have been extended to stay at UL on lease. UL to consider operating direct flights to Frankfurt and Melbourne this year.

                                Why on earth current UL management extend the leases of 3 x A332? I am sure previous UL management renewed the leases of A332 on high lease rates in 2010.

                                Comment

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