Airline, Organisations & Operators,

SriLankan Airlines has been the fabric of commercial aviation in Sri Lanka since the dawn of the airline 43 years ago. Launched on September 1, 1979, SriLankan Airlines’ 43rd Anniversary is perhaps an opportune moment therefore to reflect back on the airline’s greatest accomplishments, which are often intertwined with Sri Lanka’s own milestones in aviation and tourism.
SriLankan’s contribution to the economy of Sri Lanka as the country’s flag carrier cannot be understated. The airline has been the ultimate gateway between Sri Lanka and the world. With a current all-Airbus fleet of 24 aircraft, SriLankan has been connecting Sri Lankans to 119 cities in 60 countries across continents through direct and codeshare operations. Moreover, SriLankan Airlines is the only airline to operate direct flights between Colombo and several global power cities including London; Paris; Frankfurt; Melbourne; Sydney; and Tokyo, enabling socio-economic ties with these markets.
SriLankan has also played a central role in introducing Sri Lanka and the country’s spectacular heritage to discerning international travellers. SriLankan has for nearly half a century helped bridge distances; position Sri Lanka as one of the most desired holiday destinations; and link millions of passengers to Colombo, Southern India and the Maldives with expedient connections. Over 95 per cent of passengers transiting via Bandaranaike International Airport are carried by SriLankan Airlines and SriLankan remains the most frequently booked airline to travel to Sri Lanka.
The proof is in the numbers. Between 1979 and now, SriLankan has served over 89 million passenger journeys for both local and foreign passengers – a number that is equal to the population of Sri Lanka, four times over. The airline is, unquestionably, a key foreign currency earner for Sri Lanka as over 85 per cent of its revenue is earned in foreign currency from international markets.
SriLankan Airlines has also powered economic activity across the supply chain of the travel and tourism trade of Sri Lanka. This includes creating jobs and supporting the livelihoods, even if indirectly, for thousands employed in the sector. Consequently, it has been estimated that SriLankan Airlines makes a significant contribution to Sri Lanka’s gross domestic product.ADVERTISEMENT
Aside from passenger services, strategic business units of the airline such as SriLankan Cargo and SriLankan Engineering have all progressively contributed to the organization and country. SriLankan Cargo, stepped up its operations to fly essential goods and facilitated trade to and from Sri Lanka in the absence of other operators during the pandemic and effectively allowed the airline to redeploy resources for cargo operations in ensuring the survival of the airline as passenger travel ceased. SriLankan Cargo has transported a whopping volume of over one million metric tons across borders solely in the past ten years. Similarly, SriLankan Engineering has amped its profile in the region and beyond for providing outstanding third-party maintenance services for other airlines; sealed many new contracts including five signed just this year; and earned several million dollars in the process.
Nevertheless, the path leading up to the 43rd anniversary of the national carrier has been a rollercoaster of sorts with many challenges along the way. SriLankan Airlines, however, has persisted over the years; adapting when the situation necessitated it and extending steady support to the nation when needed. This has never been more evident than during times of national crisis.
Reflecting on the significance of the airline to the country, Ashok Pathirage, Chairman of SriLankan Airlines stated, “For the past four decades, we have been flag bearers of the nation through thick and thin. SriLankan Airlines has not only prevailed through each challenging chapter that the country has had to navigate through, but endeavored to help the country back on its feet. From sustaining travel and trade links between Sri Lanka and the world as other airlines cut back on flights to Sri Lanka due to the country’s ongoing economic crisis to bringing down stranded Sri Lankans home during the thick of the pandemic in the recent past, SriLankan has always been a pillar of strength to the nation. The resilience of our legacy is really the resilience of our people, and I would like to thank every employee of SriLankan Airlines for their show of dedication and commitment that has seen us through difficult times.” 
Additionally, SriLankan Airlines has brought pride to the country with each international award brought home. While the awards won by SriLankan since 1979 are too numerous to list, the airline has won close to 50 prestigious international awards in the last decade alone. The most recently secured awards include Diamond status by the APEX Health and Safety Audit powered by SimpliFlying 2021; World’s Leading Airline to the Indian Ocean by World Travel Awards 2021; APEX Passenger Choice Awards- Best WIFI in Central Asia 2022; and APEX Passenger Choice Awards- Best Cabin Service in Central Asia 2022.

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dnata, one of the world’s largest air and travel services provider, has extended its long-standing partnership with GOL Airlines (GOL), a leading Brazilian low-cost carrier. 
The extension of the contract will see dnata continue to provide a range of passenger, ramp and baggage services to the airline, ensuring a seamless airport experience for over 19 million passengers and safe and timely departure of up to 133,000 flights annually across 20 airports in Brazil.
dnata’s latest contract win cements its position as the leading ground services provider in Brazil.
David Barker, dnata’s Divisional Senior Vice President for Airport Operations, said: “We are proud to extend our successful partnership with GOL Airlines across their extensive Brazilian operations. We will continue to work hard to provide the highest level of quality and safety for the airline and its customers, every day.”
André Cruz, GOL’s COO, said: “dnata is an important partner for GOL since 2016, providing excellent services in more than 20 cities in Brazil. This extension strengthens even more our partnership and offers to our customers the best airport experience.”ADVERTISEMENTdnata has recently increased its investment in Brazil to become the sole shareholder of its local subsidiary. In recent years dnata Brazil has significantly expanded its footprint in the country and currently serves more than 15 airlines at 29 airports with a team of 5,000 local aviation professionals.
David Barker added:  “Our increased investment in Brazil underscores our commitment to the South American market, our highly-trained team and global customers. We see excellent growth opportunities and strong demand for our reliable and safe services across the continent. We will seize opportunities to further enhance our offering and consistently deliver world-class quality in Brazil and beyond.
“Globally, we will continue to go the extra mile to be the most admired air and travel services provider and an employer of choice in every market we operate in.“
dnata offers ground handling, cargo, travel, catering and retail services in 37 countries across six continents. In the financial year 2021-22, dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled over 527,000 aircraft turns, moved 3 million tonnes of cargo, uplifted 39.9 million meals, and recorded a total transaction value (TTV) of travel services of US$ 632 million.
dnata is nominated as Middle East’s Leading Airline GSA 2022, Middle East’s Leading Corporate Travel Company 2022, Middle East’s Leading Leisure Travel Agency 2022, Middle East’s Leading Tour Operator 2022, Middle East’s Leading Travel Agency 2022 and Middle East’s Leading Travel Management Company 2022 while GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes is nominated as South America’s Leading Airline 2022 and South America’s Leading Airline Brand 2022 by World Travel Awards.

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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air cargo markets showing healthy and stable performance.
Note: IATA returned to year-on-year traffic comparisons, instead of comparisons with the 2019 period, unless otherwise noted.
Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), was 6.4% below June 2021 levels (-6.6% for international operations). This was an improvement on the year-on-year decline of 8.3% seen in May. Global demand for the first half-year was 4.3% below 2021 levels (-4.2% for international operations). Compared to pre-COVID levels (2019) half-year demand was up 2.2%.
Capacity was 6.7% above June 2021 (+9.4% for international operations). This was an increase on the 2.7% year-on-year growth recorded in May. Capacity for the first half-year was up 4.5% (+5.7% for international operations) compared to first half-year of 2021. Compared to pre-COVID levels demand was up 2.5%.
Air cargo performance is being impacted by several factorsADVERTISEMENT >Trade activity ramped-up slightly in June as lockdowns in China due to Omicron were eased. Emerging regions (Latin America and Africa) also contributed to growth with stronger volumes.
New export orders, a leading indicator of cargo demand and world trade, decreased in all markets, except China.
The war in Ukraine continues to impair cargo capacity used to serve Europe as several airlines based in Russia and Ukraine were key cargo players.
“Air cargo demand over the first half of 2022 was 2.2% above pre-COVID levels (first half 2019). That’s a strong performance, particularly considering continuing supply chain constraints and the loss of capacity due to the war in Ukraine. Current economic uncertainties have had little impact on demand for air cargo, but developments will need to be closely monitored in the second half,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
Asia-Pacific airlines saw their air cargo volumes decrease by 2.1% in June 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. This was a significant improvement over the 6.6% decline in May. Demand for the first half-year was 2.7% below 2021 levels. Airlines in the region have been heavily impacted by lower trade and manufacturing activity due to Omicron-related lockdowns in China, however this continued to ease in June as restrictions were lifted. Available capacity in the region fell 6.2% compared to June 2021. This contributed to capacity being 0.2% below 2021 levels for the first half of 2022.
North American carriers posted a 6.3% decrease in cargo volumes in June 2022 compared to June 2021. Demand for the first half-year was 3.3% below 2021 levels. High inflation is affecting the region. Demand in the Asia-North America market is falling and the Europe – North America market has started to decline. Capacity was up 5.6% in June 2022 compared to June 2021 and up 6.1% for the first half-year of 2022.
European carriers saw a 13.5% decrease in cargo volumes in June 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. This was the weakest performance of all regions. It was, however, a slight improvement over the previous month’s performance, which saw the sharpest fall in demand since early 2022. This is attributable to the war in Ukraine. Labor shortages and lower manufacturing activity in Asia due to Omicron also affected volumes. Capacity increased 5.6% in June 2022 compared to June 2021.  Demand for the first half-year was 7.8% below 2021 levels while capacity was 3.7% above.
Middle Eastern carriers experienced a 10.8% year-on-year decrease in cargo volumes in June. Significant benefits from traffic being redirected to avoid flying over Russia failed to materialise. Capacity was up 6.7% compared to June 2021. Demand for the first half-year was 9.3% below 2021 levels, the weakest first half performance of all regions. First half-year capacity was 6.3% above 2021 levels.
Latin American carriers reported an increase of 19.6% in cargo volumes in June 2022 compared to June 2021. This was the strongest performance of all regions. Airlines in this region have shown optimism by introducing new services and capacity, and in some cases investing in additional aircraft for air cargo in the coming months. Capacity in June was up 29.5% compared to the same month in 2021. Demand for the first half-year was 21.8% above 2021 levels and half-year capacity was 32.6% above 2021 levels. This was the strongest first half performance of all regions.
African airlines saw cargo volumes increase by 5.7% in June 2022 compared to June 2021. As with carriers in Latin America, airlines in this region have shown optimism by introducing additional capacity. Capacity was 10.3% above June 2021 levels. Demand for the first half-year was 2.9% above 2021 levels and half-year capacity was 6.9% above 2021 levels.

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Farnborough Airport, Europe’s leading airport for premium air travel connectivity and the home of British aviation has appointed contractors McLaughlin & Harvey and Gebler Tooth for the design and construction of its new £55m 175,000 sq. ft state of the art and sustainably designed hangar development, Domus III.
Farnborough Airport has been working closely with McLaughlin & Harvey and Gebler Tooth to create a plan that will increase hangar space by over 70%, whilst complementing the Airport’s existing award-winning facilities. The large project was conceived in response to the growing demand for premium hangar space with a design that accommodates the growing presence of the next generation of business jets.
The new hangar will be rated by BREEAM, the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for infrastructure and buildings and is set to achieve some of the highest environmental standards. One of the iconic features of Domus III will be the translucent automated doors, which will stretch the entire length of the building, optimising natural light inside the hangar and reducing lighting usage. The large unhindered access provided by the door design will improve aircraft manoeuvrability and help mitigate unnecessary emissions from aircraft handling activities. The plan for the construction will also ensure that building doesn’t impact the day-to-day activities at the airport.
Simon Geere, Farnborough Airport’s CEO says: “We are pleased to announce that we have appointed McLaughlin & Harvey and Gebler Tooth on the development of Domus III, which will further enhance our facilities and operational infrastructure. We want to be known as a global showcase for airport sustainability and the new hangar has been meticulously designed with this in mind. The investment will also provide a substantial boost for employment and economic growth in the region, whilst continuing our journey in providing the very best-in-class facilities to our customers at Europe’s number one business aviation airport.”
David Tooth, Founding Director of GeblerTooth says: “We are delighted to be involved in this significant development at Farnborough Airport. Our team has worked closely with the Airport and Contractors teams to date to reach this stage and are excited to see the project through to completion.’’ – David Tooth, Managing Director, GeblerTooth.”ADVERTISEMENTThe new hangar is part of a wider plan to continuously improve the customer experience at Farnborough Airport at the same time as setting the standard for sustainability in the sector. In June, Farnborough Airport committed to some of the most ambitious environmental targets within the sector with the launch of its Net Zero roadmap, setting a pathway to Net Zero across it’s controllable emissions by 2030 or sooner. In 2018, Farnborough Airport became the first business airport to be awarded carbon neutral status, last year made Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) available to customers and earlier this month ran a successful promotion in offering SAF at the same price as Jet A1 fuel.
Construction of Domus III will commence in August 2022 with completion scheduled for quarter one 2024.

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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed progress by states towards a long-term aspirational goal (LTAG) of net-zero aviation carbon emissions by 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement’s temperature objectives. This is noted in the summary of discussions for the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) High Level Meeting held in preparation for the 41st ICAO Assembly later this year.
“The ICAO High Level Meeting’s support of a long term goal for states that is in line with the aviation sector’s net-zero by 2050 commitment is a step in the right direction. A formal agreement at the 41st ICAO Assembly would underpin a common approach by states to decarbonize aviation. That’s critical for the aviation industry. Knowing that government policies will support the same goal and timeline globally will enable the sector, especially its suppliers, to make the needed investments to decarbonize,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
In October 2021, IATA member airlines committed to net zero emissions by 2050. The path to achieve this will involve a combination of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), new propulsion technology, infrastructure and operational efficiencies, and carbon offsets/carbon capture to fill any gaps.
“Net zero by 2050 will require a global transition for aviation to new fuels, technologies and operations. The significant investments to get there will need a solid policy foundation aligned with a global way forward. That is why it is so important for states to carry the momentum of the High Level Meeting through to a formal agreement at the 41st ICAO Assembly in a few weeks,” said Walsh.

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Passengers travelling through Gatwick this summer will be able to take advantage of a number of special offers, competitions and seasonal drink choices, as part of the airport’s new campaign – ‘Explore Like Never Before’.
The campaign, which officially launched this week, includes special offers on World Duty Free products, such as up to 50% off selected spirits, and savings on this season’s top fragrances with the Reserve & Collect service.
Wetherspoons, in both the North and South Terminals, are selling a special guest ale – ‘Summer Sun’ – a pale, hoppy beer produced by Twickenham Brewery, while Juniper & Co. in the North Terminal has launched a range of five summer cocktails exclusive to Gatwick, including a non-alcoholic option.
As passengers await their flight, they will also be able to enjoy in-terminal activities, including a tombola with a range of prizes to be won, or grab a pre-holiday photo in one of Gatwick’s giant deckchairs.
Families may even get to meet the airport’s new mascot, Gary Gatwick, who made his first public appearances in the terminals yesterday.ADVERTISEMENTAirlines are getting in on the summer fun too, with Wizz Air running a competition with a chance to win a £500 flight voucher, while passengers can also win a family bundle which includes sun care from Boots, WHSmith children’s toys and books, Shake Shack and Wagamama vouchers and Gatwick shopping vouchers.
Nick Williams, Head of Retail Operations, Gatwick Airport said: “With a busy summer holiday period expected – the first since 2019 with unrestricted travel – it’s fantastic that so many of our retailers and restaurants at Gatwick are able to help our passengers celebrate, with some great offers and exclusive products available.
“We know there have been some challenges with travel recently and while our teams are working incredibly hard to ensure passengers get away on their holidays with ease, we are excited that once people reach the departure lounge, we have plenty here to help families relax and get their holidays off to a great start.”
Earlier this month, Gatwick announced the opening of two new LEGO stores (North and South Terminals) and a Kidstop pop-up (North Terminal), as well as the return of Itsu and Ted Baker in the South Terminal.
For those not flying over the summer, there will be further opportunities to meet Gary Gatwick and take a photograph in one of the giant deckchairs, with Gatwick sponsoring Crawley Pride, taking place at Goffs Park between 19 – 21 August.

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