SriLankan Airlines to Lease Additional Airbus A330s

DALLAS — SriLankan Airlines (UL) has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the dry lease of five Airbus A330s to upgrade its long-haul fleet. The airline is considering both A330-300s and A330-200s, with aircraft aged up to 15 years at the time of delivery.

The state-owned carrier plans to take delivery of all five aircraft from May to November this year under six-year contracts that include an extension option, as it aims to replace some of its older Airbus A330s. It is also looking for five A320s on lease and is currently working through the bids.

According to ch-aviation, the airline has a preference for the A330-200 version. Currently, the airline's widebody fleet consists of five A330-200s, averaging 20.5 years old, and seven A330-300s, averaging 7.8 years old. All twelve aircraft are on dry lease.

SriLankan Airlines 4R-ALN Airbus A330-343. Photo: Alberto Cucini/Airways

A330 Lease, Operation Details

SriLankan aims to receive the first two aircraft in May 2023, two more in August, and the final one in November. The airline prefers A330-200s with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of at least 233 tonnes or A330-300s with an MTOW of at least 238 tonnes.

Although the exact number of seats has not been specified, the carrier emphasizes the need for lie-flat or flat-bed business class seats. The selected aircraft must not be older than 15 years at the time of delivery and should have at least 12,000 flight hours, 8,000 flight cycles, and 36 months until the next C-Check.

SriLankan Airlines intends to operate each aircraft for 4,750 flight hours and 1,000 flight cycles annually. The airline prefers Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, but it will consider aircraft with other engine types only if they are enrolled in an OEM power-by-hour maintenance agreement or if the lessor agrees to provide substitution engines in the case of a shop visit event.

The Oneworld carrier confirmed ch-aviation that three A330s will leave the fleet in 2023, and the rest of the current widebodies will gradually retire through 2027.

https://airwaysmag.com/srilankan-airlines-profitable-again/

Feature Image: SriLankan Airlines Airbus A330-343 (4R-ALM). Photo: Alberto Cucini/Airways.