SRI LANKA: SriLankan Airlines Traffic Went Down In 2018

SriLankan Airlines commenced operations between Colombo and Melbourne on 29 October 2017, with the latter airport giving the inaugural flight a water arch salute.

Data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka shows that during the first 12 months of operation, the oneworld member carried 157,342 passengers on the route. This service was also the last route that was introduced to the carrier’s network, with no new routes planned for 2019 so far either.

SriLankan Airlines is the flag carrier of Sri Lanka and a member of oneworld. It currently operates a fleet of 27 aircraft, made-up of seven A320s of which two are neos, seven A321s three neos, six A330-200s and seven A330-300s.

It’s home base is Colombo’s Bandaranaike Airport, where in 2018 the carrier occupied 50% of seat capacity. According to data obtained from Sri Lanka’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the airline flew just under 1.42 million passengers during Q3 2018, with this down 3.3% versus the 1.46 million that it flew within the same quarter of 2017.

Between November 2017 and October 2018, the carrier flew just under six million passengers according to Sri Lanka’s CAA.

SriLankan Airlines’ leading route from Colombo is Chennai, with the airline having transported over half a million passengers on the route between January and October last year, accounting for 10% of the carrier’s total passengers flown within the 10-month period analysed.

The airline currently serves the 647-kilometre route four times daily, using a mixture of its narrow- and wide-body fleet.

India is the airline’s largest market, with it serving 13 destinations in India on either a seasonal or year-round basis during the time frame analysed, with six Indian cities placing in the airline’s top 15 destinations for passengers carried.

Between January and October, 33% of the airline’s passengers flew on services to/from India.

After India, the airline’s second biggest market is the Middle East, with this region accounting for 24% or 1.16 million passengers of the the carrier’s customers between January and October last year.

Presently the airline serves nine destinations in the Middle East from Colombo, with Doha, Dubai, Riyadh and Kuwait City all making it into the airline’s top 15 destinations with regards to passengers carried.

One route which just missed out on a place in the top 15 is the airline’s newest destination Melbourne, a route that the airline launched on 29 October 2017.

Placing 16th in the airline’s top routes relating to passengers carried, the link to Australia transported 129,110 passengers within the first 10 months of last year, while during its first full 12 months of operation November 2017 – October 2018, the route carried 157,342 passengers.

The airline’s other routes to carry over 100,000 passengers within a 12-month time frame Nov 2017 – Oct 2018, were Jakarta, Guangzhou, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, Thiruvananthapuram, Dhaka, Shanghai Pudong, Tokyo Narita, Bahrain and Beijing.

While SriLankan Airlines added its last new route in October 2017, it has since cut three routes from Colombo, namely to Hong Kong which ended 27 October 2018, Visakhapatnam 27 October and Kunming 28 February.

The loss of these routes means that in S19, the carrier is poised to offer a network of 38 destinations, with no new routes being planned or announced by the airline for this year.

Male was the leading destination for SriLankan Airlines’ connecting traffic between July 2017 and June 2018, with it accounting for 9.0% of one-way connecting passengers during this 12-month period, while Chennai was second, responsible for 7.6% of connecting traffic.

With these routes being the airline’s top routes for total passenger numbers from Colombo, and having multi-daily frequencies, it is not surprising to see them top the list of connecting destinations as well.

What is interesting to note is that, of the airline’s leading connections, all of them, bar Jeddah, are within a distance of 4,500 kilometres of Colombo.

Of the airline’s top 15 routes for total passenger numbers, only Male, Chennai, Kochi, Riyadh, Singapore, Tiruchirappalli, Kuwait City, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Kuala Lumpur, Doha and Dubai were included in the top 15 connecting routes, with Delhi, London Heathrow, Bengaluru and Mumbai not making the connections cut.

This suggests that the latter four destinations are more dominant for O&D traffic to/from Colombo then they are for connecting services via SriLankan’s hub.

During the past decade, SriLankan Airlines had a number of routes into Europe, however these we cut as a result of cost cutting measures for the airline as it re-focused its strategy in recent years.

However, if it was to return to expansion in the long-haul market, OAG Traffic Analyser data indicates that strong destinations for the airline, regarding O&D traffic from Colombo, would be Paris CDG 70,000 one-way indirect passengers between July 2017 and June 2018, Frankfurt 58,100, Milan Malpensa 45,300, Rome Fiumicino 40,400 and Munich 35,900.


Tourism Observer

INDIA: IndiGo To Commence Flights To UK

IndiGo airline is likely to expand its wings into Europe with flights to Gatwick airport near London this winter, according to a source.

The airline has bagged a slot at Gatwick airport for the upcoming winter schedule and may start flights, said an aviation industry insider on the condition of anonymity.

The winter schedule starts from the last Sunday of October and continues till the last Saturday of March.

The flight to London Gatwick airport will include a stop mid-way. The move is part of the airline’s plan to expand into Europe and add at least nine destinations.

The airline will also be adding flights to China’s Hong Kong and talks to connect Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh are at an advanced stage.

IndiGo had said in a statement earlier that it would be adding flights to Male and Jeddah.

For its operations to Gatwick the airline is expected to deploy its new A321 neo, which it is likely to induct in November.

This plane will have one auxiliary fuel tank, enabling it to fly for eight to nine hours.

Currently, the airline flies to nine destinations in neighbouring countries, which include Bangkok, Colombo, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Muscat, Sharjah and Singapore.

It has already announced flights to Kuwait and Abu Dhabi, effective next month.


Tourism Observer

MALDIVES: Trouble In Maldive Tourism

Maldives jihadists released a video warning leaders of the Maldives to adopt strict sharia law.
IT’S supposed to be a rich tourist’s perfect paradise, but increasingly, the Maldives’ credibility as a tropical dream is being overshadowed by the spectre of a terrorist nightmare.

The country famed for white sands and laid back locals is teetering on the edge of a coup with unrest and the threat of Islamic State terrorism set to see paradise turn ugly.

The Maldives is painted as a picture-prefect haven for tourists — many of them rich Western Europeans escaping the winter.

But increasing internal political turmoil and hard line radicalisation has the country at tipping point.

There is civil unrest as democratically-elected President Abdulla Yameen continues to lose support, and as more locals leave the Muslim country to fight in the Middle East with Islamic State and other militant outfits.

An estimated 200 Maldivians have done this, which would make the Maldives the largest foreign contributor of fighters on a per-capita basis. It’s a figure disputed by Yameen, who says the number is closer to 50 — despite the fact his government last week asked India for help sharing intelligence in light of an increasing threat form IS.

Whatever the numbers, terrorism experts say the figure is concerning, given the small population.

If there was to be a single terrorist attack on one of the luxury resorts, the billion dollar tourist industry would topple.

“It makes me very, very scared to see what is happening there,” Azra Naseem, who was born in the Maldives and now specialises in researching Islamist radicalism at Dublin University, said.

She said the government was afraid if the number of people leaving to become foreign fighters became public, it would harm the country’s exclusive tourism industry.

“Rich Western Europeans, towards whom most of the Maldives’ tourism is geared, would not want to book expensive holidays in a country known for the production of jihad,” she said.

“If the tourism industry is damaged, the minuscule percentage of rich Maldivians who control it would suffer, and many of them bankroll the government. So the current regimen downplays the number of jihadists, pretends it is a problem that does not exist and labels anyone who speaks about it a traitor.”

She said, the Maldives, which adopted Islam when Arab traders came to the islands in the 12th century, had never really distinguished between the Shia and Sunni sects of Isla, blending island traditions and Islam.

“And now the only Islam that is being accepted is Saudi Salafism,” she says.

Almost half the Maldivian population of 300,000 lives on the island capital of Male.

Unemployment and drug use is high. Few Maldivians work in the resorts, which are on islands uninhabited by locals. They tend to be managed by Europeans and Australians and staffed mainly by tens of thousands of poorly-paid Bangladeshis.

While the government has been diligent in cracking down on political opponents, it has done little to halt the flow of Maldivians heading off to fight for Islamic State.

There have been whole families who have gone over,” says Naseem. “There has been a Maldivian baby born in Syria.”

When Islamic State first emerged, the stories of people going off to fight would be reported in local newspapers as their families proudly talked of their bravery.

Naseem says the government seems to have cracked down on the publication of such reports, but “it doesn’t mean that people aren’t still going”.

Terrorism experts say the problem is what happens if some of these Maldivian jihadists, trained and radicalised on the battlefields of Syria, come home.

Maldivian jihadists recently posted a video on a website with the pictures of the three most recent Maldivian presidents — including Yameen — depicting the presidents being shot.

The video said it was a warning for the leadership of the Maldives to adopt strict sharia law.

It’s a stark contract to the idyllic weather, beaches and tropical fish showcased as the ultimate Maldives holiday.

Experts say the country’s 100-plus luxury resorts are ‘soft’ terrorism targets.

Meanwhile Yameen is trying to pacify Islamic interests, safeguard his leadership, and protect than economy where 70 per cent of the economy is directly reliant on tourism.

The result is building opposition towards him, and the growing threat of a coup.

The Maldives became a democracy in 2008 when Mohamed Nasheed became its first freely-elected leader, ending three decades of autocratic rule under Mr Yameen’s half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Since Yameen came to power in 2013, he has enacted a series of increasingly draconian laws.

Under his rule, hundreds of political activists have faced charges and several senior figures have been given long jail sentences including Mr Nasheed, who was painted as anti-Islamic, and now lives in self-imposed exile in the UK.

Last weekend, reports emerged that a group of exiled opposition leaders — including Nasheed — had met in Sri Lanka planning how to oust him.

Protests have become frequent in the past year amid fears Yameen will return the Maldives to its more repressive past.

Last month strict defamation laws, with punishments for comments or actions considered insulting to Islam and tighter restrictions on demonstrations came into effect.

Yameen plans to bring back the death penalty — after a 60-year unofficial moratorium — and capital punishment as a way of proving his “Islamic credentials’, a move which has drawn criticism from the UN, the UK, the EU and the US.

While the Maldives relies heavily on its billion-dollar tourism industry, that same industry promotes a feeling of inequality. Some locals resent the wealthy foreigners. Even more resent the uneven distribution of the proceeds of tourism.

The internal power struggle, combined with the increased terrorism fears, haven't hit the tourist trade.

But on August 25, the BBC announced it had received information that a move to oust the president is expected in the coming weeks.

About 7000 Australians travel to the Maldives every year, and the current Australian government travel warnings are to “exercise normal safety precautions” overall, but exercise “a high degree of caution in the capital, on Male Island, due to the possibility of civil unrest and the threat of terrorist attack.”

“Australians in the Maldives should avoid all demonstrations, protests, and large public gatherings, particularly in Male, as they may turn violent,” the government travel warning says.

“Australia and Australians are viewed by IS and other terrorist groups as a target for terrorist attacks. Even in cases where attacks may not specifically target Australian interests, Australians could be harmed in indiscriminate attacks or attacks aimed at others.”

Public observance of any religion other than Islam is prohibited in the Maldives and importation of non-Islamic religious material is illegal. In the past, foreigners have been expelled for allegedly engaging in religious preaching.

It’s at odds with the tourism brochure picture of tropical paradise perfection of year-round sun, an underwater wonderland, and rich tourists sipping cocktails on the country’s resort islands where alcohol and pork are allowed, bikinis are acceptable dress, and almost anything goes.

INDIA: Hahaha, Pliot Refuses To Fly Plane If Favorite Female Co Pilot Is Not By His Side

110 passengers had to wait in a grounded Air India aircraft for nearly two-and-a-half hours after its commander refused to take off without his favourite female co-pilot.

Air India has a notorious record for delayed flights and leaving passengers stranded within the aircraft.

An official aviation report in 2015 had revealed that Air India tops the list of Indian airlines with the maximum cancelled and delayed flights.

The passengers were travelling on the Air India flight from Chennai to Male via Thiruvananthapuram. The ensuing delay resulted in the flight departing at 9.13 a.m. instead of the scheduled time of 7 a.m.

According to reports, the Air India commander in question had resigned last week and was serving his notice period. On Tuesday, he asked for the woman officer to fly with him on the same flight. However, when the request was denied by the airlines, the official threatened to report sick.

When he appeared for duty on Wednesday, he refused to fly until he was accompanied by the female co-pilot in question. In the end, the airlines was forced to arrange for the co-pilot.

In 2016 alone, flights have been delayed after a fight broke out between two flight attendants, because the plane did not have a pilot ready, or because the pilots were diverted to another flight carrying politicians and judges.

Last month, passengers on a two-hour flight from Delhi to Kolkata were stranded for close to 13 hours due to a technical snag.

MALDIVES: Tourists Cancel Bookings Fearing State Of Emergency Chaos

Maldives' ongoing political strife seems to have stemmed into its tourism industry, as several resorts and guesthouses have reported booking cancellations in the past week over the state of emergency in place.

Several resorts and guesthouses told Haveeru that tourists planning to visit had raised questions and expressed concern over the Maldives’ month-long state of emergency.

Paradise Island Resort and Spa reported that their occupancy rate has dropped by a staggering 70 percent since the emergency announcement, whereas normally the resort would be fully booked at this time of year which is the beginning of tourist high season.

The resort revealed they receive two to three cancellations daily, which is approximately six tourists. They are also receiving calls from India, where the majority of its guests hail from, with inquiries regarding the resort’s security.

Villa Group’s head office also reported a significant drop in tourists to their other resorts this month in comparison to last November. Tourists from China and Europe, which make up the bulk of the nation’s tourism market, have raised concerns over the Maldives’ situtation, added Villa.

“We’re monitoring the amount of tourists arriving. As it’s only been a week since emergency was announced, we haven’t yet noticed much of a decrease. But things are very slow this month compared to last year,” said a senior official of Villa.

Ayada Maldives resort in Gaafu Dhaal atoll said they have not received any cancellations yet, but tourists are worried over the current state of affairs.

“They ask about airport security, whether it’s safe to come to the Maldives. We guaranteed their safety, so none of them have cancelled bookings yet,” said an Ayada official.

While the number of tourists to the Maldives increased slightly last month, the occupancy of guesthouses is on the rise while resorts’ have declined.

Meanwhile, Maldives Association of Tourist Industry (MATI) had assured in a press release on Wednesday that the tourism sector and domestic transportation will remain unaffected by the emergency and proceed normally.

Government, meanwhile, had said it was already working to minimise the impact on tourism and the archipelago's economy.

Maldives declared a month-long state of emergency Wednesday in what has been extraordinary security measures following an explosion on a speedboat carrying the president and subsequent discovery of an arms haul.

In the declaration of emergency, which was read out to journalists at the President’s Office by Attorney General Mohamed Anil, President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom said he had reached the decision after consultations with his national security council. Several explosive devices have been discovered in two separate operations carried out by the army and there is credible intelligence of an imminent attack using explosives and weapons, he added.

Such an attack would endanger the lives of the public, the president said.

Newly appointed tourism minister Moosa Zameer had earlier said information is being disseminated to tourists with pre-booked tickets and resorts.

"We are working hard to minimise the shadow cast on our economy by all this," he had said.

The declaration of emergency came a day after security forces discovered an explosive device near the presidential palace.

Maldives military had confirmed that the suspected device found in a vehicle parked near the presidential residence of Muliaage in capital Male was an improvised explosive device which had been subsequently been diffused.

The discovery of the IED came just over a month after an explosion aboard the presidential speedboat carrying President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom now confirmed as an attempt to kill the president.

President Yameen was unhurt but his spouse and two others were hurt in the explosion.

The primary suspect in the blast appears to be Vice President Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor who was arrested on October 24 as soon as he arrived from an official trip to China.

He is accused of high treason, a charge he denies.

The government has continued its crackdown on the vice president and his associates.

Before and since the vice president’s arrest, police jointly with armed soldiers have been carrying out raids across capital Male. Most of the houses and offices searched so far had direct links to the vice president.

The army had confirmed that two assault rifles found in the biggest weapons bust in Maldives' recent history belonged to the state armoury.

The items showcased during a press conference earlier Saturday included several hand guns, a T56 assault rifle and a MP5 sub-machine gun. In addition, a large quantity of bomb making material were also displayed at the press briefing.

The weapons had been seized from Hibilhadhoo island in Baa Atoll being developed as a resort.

Parliament, meanwhile, has sacked Adheeb from the VP's post after unanimously passing a no confidence motion against him.

MALDIVES: State Of Emergency No Effect On Tourism. Says Tourism Minister

The Maldives’ new tourism minister said on Friday that the events that led President Abdulla Yameen to declare a state of emergency would not affect the safety of visitors to the islands.

Yameen announced a 30-day emergency on Wednesday, citing threats to national security after officials said an explosive device was discovered near his residence in Male, as well as stashes of weapons.

The Maldives’ pristine white sand beaches and turquoise waters attracted 1.2 million tourists last year. With visitors willing to spend as much as $1,000 a night at hideaway resorts, tourism accounted for 29 percent of the Indian Ocean nation’s GDP.

“I want to give an assurance that tourists will be safe and what has happened in the recent past has no bearing on their safety,” the minister, Moosa Zameer, said from Male.

“The security forces in Maldives will ensure their safety … The government has declared this state of emergency to ensure investigations are carried out and quickly restore confidence to the public and the visitors travelling … to ensure they’re in no danger from any arms and explosives.”

Zameer’s predecessor, Ahmed Adeeb, also the vice president, was impeached on Thursday after being detained on suspicion of involvement in a blast on Sept. 28 in a boat carrying Yameen.

The government first said the blast could have been caused by a mechanical failure, but later said it had been an attempt to assassinate the president.

However, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, asked to examine the boat, said it had found “no conclusive evidence” that a bomb had exploded there.

“Someone has tried to kill the president to get into power,” Zameer said.

“There will be some uncertainty. We’ve been working with all stakeholders including tour operators and international airlines. We have been trying to assess the situation and trying to minimise any impact for the tourism sector.”