SriLankan Airlines says to lease 21 more aircraft

Loss-making SriLankan Airlines has called for offers from prospective international bidders to supply 42 aircraft on dry lease terms.

The Request for Proposals (RFPs) has four components: Airbus (A) 330 -10 aircraft; A320/A321 -11 aircraft; 10 new generation wide body aircraft; and 11 new generation narrow body aircraft. The deadline for the submission of bids is May 16, 2022

Deliveries are tentatively scheduled between December 2022 and end 2025. SriLankan Airlines said it intends to lease all of the current-generation aircraft for 4-6 years each and requires that the aircraft be less than 15 years old at the time of delivery.

The national carrier, which is heavily in debt to the government, currently has an all-Airbus fleet of 24 modern, sophisticated aircraft which includes 12 A330 (long haul) and 12 A320/A321 aircraft (medium haul).

Meanwhile in a statement on Thursday, SriLankan Airlines said it has issued four requests for proposal (RFPs) to lease up to 21 aircraft to support its long-term business strategy. This includes two RFPs covering existing fleet types (320 and 330 family aircraft) and two parallel RFPs to compare with alternative aircraft types. Roughly 60 per cent of the planned aircraft will be for fleet replacement, and the remainder will be to support the airline’s expansion strategy and meet the growing demand for air travel between Sri Lanka and the world, it said in a statement clarifying the RPFs which in fact said 42 aircraft was required.

Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, SriLankan had an all-Airbus fleet of 27 wide and narrow-bodied aircraft to service its short and long-haul operations. During COVID-19, there were no replacements for three aircraft that left the fleet. The airline currently has 24 aircraft to operate to 40 destinations in 25 countries.

“SriLankan is planning for measured growth in the next three years through frequency increases and the addition of new destinations as international travel is in a trajectory of recovery from the pandemic. The business plan of the airline necessitates a 35-aircraft-strong fleet by 2025. Additionally, it is critical to lease replacement aircraft when existing aircraft leases expire to sustain operations.  Considering these factors, SriLankan plans to lease up to 21 aircraft from the forthcoming RFP process,” the statement said.