SriLankan Airlines Welcomes First Wide-Body Aircraft in Seven Years

SriLankan Airlines has received its first wide-body aircraft in seven years, with an Airbus A330-200 arriving from Paris today. The aircraft, registered as 4R-ALT, performed a low fly-past over Colombo and Katunayake before landing at Bandaranaike International Airport. This addition takes the airline’s fleet to 23 aircraft, supporting its plans for fleet growth and expanded operations on long-haul routes in response to increasing passenger demand. Currently, SriLankan’s fleet includes 13 narrow-body and 10 wide-body aircraft

SriLankan’s Chairman, Sarath Ganegoda, said, “This marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for SriLankan Airlines, both operationally and in shaping our long-term fleet strategy. 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.”

Acting CEO and Group CFO, Yasantha Dissanayake, added, “This is the first wide-body aircraft to be inducted into the fleet after a lapse of seven years. It will allow us to expand our reach in both existing and new markets, offering improved flight times, better connectivity and more direct services to the country, whilst enhancing cargo capacity in support of Sri Lanka’s export trade. The aircraft also features inflight amenities that meet the expectations of today’s traveller and provides a more comfortable flying experience.”

Captain Patrick Fernando, Chief Technical Officer, noted, “This is part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen the fleet and induct more wide-body aircraft in the near future. The aircraft is equipped with wireless in-flight entertainment and individual USB charging ports at every seat for enhanced passenger convenience. It is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines and presents a two-class configuration with 18 Business Class and 242 Economy Class seats.  The aircraft will serve both long-haul and select short-haul routes.”