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Aviation History
1984
1984 - 0027.PDF
The A and B checks on Air Lanka's Rolls-Royce RB.211 engines are carried out at homebase hopes to obtain the former Air Ceylon Trident, which stands disused on the military side of Katunakye Airport, to use for safety training. The choice of cabin crew is very important for Air Lanka, and promising candidates have their final interviews with the chairman or one of his chief executives. Last summer, in a move to attract tour ism, the airline launched a range of stopover holidays with travel on to desti nations beyond Sri Lanka, such as the Maldive Islands. Stopover packages have helped improve Air Lanka's through traf-f kc and have encouraged passengers to break their journey in Colombo rather than just transit through the airport. While the airline's key marketing approach is the stimulation of tourist traf fic growth to Sri Lanka, it has also secured a strong competitive position on routes between Sri Lanka, the Middle East, Europe, the Maldives, and to key cities in Southern India and Southern Asia. The carrier has a policy of serving high quality inflight food. In a joint venture with Thai Airways International, Air Lanka set up Air Lanka Catering Services last year. The facility currently caters for 4,000 meals a day, and chefs work round the clock to provide meals for 20 carriers. In its first year of operation the catering service made a Si-7 million net profit. This year, when a $4 million expansion of the facility is completed to give 120 per cent more capacity, it will be providing 7,000 meals daily. Shortly Air Lanka will be taking over the catering of the airport restaurant at a cost of $381,000. In-flight service has been closely modelled on that of Singapore Airlines. At the outset the airline wanted to achieve the same fine reputation as SIA. It shares the same advertising agency — Gottshore, Kerr and Lim-and chooses the same soft-sell advertising image of attractive stewardesses and attentive service, as well as promoting Sri Lanka. Flight asked a number of Sri Lankan and Singaporean businessmen who travel regularly on both airlines how the two airlines' cabin services compare. There was unanimous agreement that Air Lanka's "smiles and warmth" more than compensate for the superior efficiency of the "Singapore girls". Air Lanka's financial strength is growing. For the first time in four years it has recorded an operating profit, $1 million in its financial year ending March 31, 1983. Its net result for the year is expected very soon. Earnings for the year installed $2-4 million, a 28 per cent increase over the last financial year. Air x freight loads increased 12 per cent to earn \ the airline $130,550. Air Lanka has achieved much within a short timespan, but it looks to the future with confidence, believing that even more growth is imminent. gj r Colombo Airport recorded more aircraft movements last year FLIGHT International, 7 January 1984 than 7,000 27
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