SriLankan Airlines turns 45, celebrating a trailblazing journey that took off on September 1, 1979, with just two Boeing 707 aircraft. A pioneer in the region, the airline has always remained resilient in the face of turbulence and has consistently championed true Sri Lankan hospitality globally. Over the years, SriLankan Airlines has proven its versatility in an ever-evolving and testing environment. Today, it continues to be one of the major international airlines from South Asia, having achieved numerous milestones and accolades along the way.
Key milestones and achievements:
1979: Launch of Air Lanka with two Boeing 707 aircraft on 1st September, with its maiden flight to Bangkok. Later, it launched services to Bahrain, Frankfurt, London, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Paris, Zurich, Madras, and Male.
1980: Launched Air Lanka Catering Ltd and acquired its first Lockheed L1011 Tristar.
1984: Acquired Boeing 747-200.
1990: Air Lanka became a member of the IATA (International Air Transport Association). It also leased three Ilyushin IL-86s to operate mercy flights for Sri Lankans fleeing the Gulf War.
1991: Became the first international airline to obtain IATA accreditation for its Centre for Training.
1992: Launched the frequent flyer programme “The Serendib Club.”
1993: Acquired its first Airbus A320-200.
1994: Acquired an Airbus A340, making it the first South Asian airline to operate this model.
1998: Entered into a strategic partnership with Emirates.
1999: Air Lanka was rebranded as SriLankan Airlines. It also acquired an Airbus A330-200.
2000: Phased out Lockheed Tristars for an all-Airbus fleet. Rebranded its cargo arm as ‘SriLankan Cargo,’ which launched a dedicated freighter service using Antonov AN12F aircraft.
2001: Launched a revamped SriLankan website. Recognised as Skytrax Airline of the Year – Central Asia.
2002: Launched its leisure arm, SriLankan Holidays. Awarded Skytrax Airline of the Year – Central Asia for the second time.
2003: Skytrax named SriLankan Airlines as having the “World’s Friendliest Cabin Staff” and recognized it as Skytrax Airline of the Year—Central Asia. The World Airline Entertainment Association (Avion Awards) recognised it with Best Overall Inflight Entertainment among small fleets. Airbus Industrie recognised it as the most efficient operator of A330s in the world among small fleets.
2004: Launched domestic floatplane service, SriLankan Air Taxi, and the Serendib Lounge, the new Business Class Lounge in BIA. Awarded Best Overall Inflight Entertainment among small fleets at the Avion Awards and Airline Turnaround of the Year by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Launched its community arm, SriLankan Cares.
2005: Launched a massive relief effort in the aftermath of the devastating 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.
2006: Launched the International Aviation Academy (IAA). Recognized by the Changi Airline Awards as one of the top five airlines operating at Changi Airport, Singapore. SriLankan Catering commissioned a state-of-the-art Flight Kitchen. Goa became SriLankan’s 50th destination.
2007: Received IOSA safety and quality certification from IATA, and its engineering division was awarded the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) 145 standard. Won the PATA Best Airline Marketing Campaign Gold Award for “Home Away From Home.” Became the first international airline to achieve 100 flights per week to India.
2008: Achieved ISAGO (IATA Operational Safety Audit for Ground Operations) registration. Launched the frequent flyer programme, FlySmiLes. Management of SriLankan reverted to the Government of Sri Lanka. Won the Airbus Industrie Global Award for Operational Excellence of A340s among small fleets. Re-fleeting of A320s began with the arrival of the first aircraft in four years.
2009: Launched the Corporate Environment Policy and operated South Asia’s first Green Flight. Its engineering division carried out its first-ever Combined Heavy Maintenance Check.
2010: Recognised with the IATA Platinum Award for being among the first to launch 2D barcoded boarding passes. Also awarded the Effie Award in the Travel & Tourism category for the ‘Hotseats’ marketing campaign.
2011: The International Aviation Academy was named among the ‘Top Ten’ Training Centres in South Asia by IATA. Launched the SriLankan Flight Academy with Sri Lanka’s first Flight Simulator for pilot training.
2012: Won the APEX Best in Region—Asia & Australasia award at the Passenger Choice Awards, USA.
2013: Entered IATA Premier Circle as one of the Top Ten Training Centres in the world.
2014: Joined Oneworld, an alliance of world-class airlines. SriLankan Cares funded the opening of a modern child psychiatric unit at Lady Ridgeway Hospital. Took delivery of three brand-new A330-300 aircraft as part of its re-fleeting plan.
2015: Recognised with the APEX Passenger Choice Award for “Superior Achievement in Passenger Experience.” Awarded the Excellence in Human Resources—South Asia by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
2016: Won the World Travel Awards’ title of World’s Leading Airline Operating to the Indian Ocean. Launched operations to 11 new destinations, including Gan Island in the Maldives, becoming the only international airline to date to fly there.
2017: Recognised by In-flight Asia Pacific Awards for Innovation in Commercial Airline Cabins. Inducted Airbus A320 and A321 Neo aircraft and launched flights to Melbourne, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, and Visakhapatnam. Won the World’s Leading Airline to the Indian Ocean at the World Travel Awards, the Gold Award for MICE Promotions at ITB Berlin’s Golden City Gate Awards, a four-star rating in the Major Regional Airline category at the APEX Awards, and Best Airline in South Asia at the Top Travel Awards.
2018: Became the most punctual global airline in September, with over 91% of flights on time. Recognised by the World Travel Awards as the World’s Leading Airline to the Indian Ocean, it received a four-star rating in the Major Regional Airline category from the APEX Awards. Also won First Star in the Campaign Category at the Golden City Gate Awards, ITB Berlin.
2019: Named the most punctual global airline in June, for the second time in less than 12 months. Honoured with a four-star rating in the Major Airline category at the APEX Awards. Received the PATA Gold Award for Marketing-Carrier and was recognised by the World Travel Awards as the World’s Leading Airline to the Indian Ocean. The SriLankan Aviation College was named an IATA Regional Top Performing Authorised Training Centre. Also won First Star in the Airline-Corporate Category at the Golden City Gate Awards, ITB Berlin.
2020: Commenced cargo flights to support local exporters during the pandemic and operated mercy repatriation flights to Wuhan and other global cities. Received the PATA Gold Award for Marketing-Carrier and the First Star in the Airline International category at the Golden City Gate Awards, ITB Berlin. Also recognised by the World Travel Awards as the World’s Leading Airline to the Indian Ocean and won First Star in the Campaign Category at the Golden City Gate Awards, ITB Berlin.
2021: Received Diamond Status from the APEX Health and Safety Audit powered by SimpliFlying, “Best in Managing Health at Work” by the Asian Leadership Awards, and was named the World’s Leading Airline to the Indian Ocean by the World Travel Awards. Also won the PATA Gold Award for Marketing-Carrier and expanded its MRO business with several new customer airlines.
2022: Won the APEX Passenger Choice Awards for Best Cabin Service in Central Asia and received a four-star rating in the Major Airline category from the APEX Awards. Recognised for the Best Aviation Sustainability Programme (Mathaka upcycling project) by the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (SMBR) Global Aviation Awards. Also won the PATA Gold Award for Marketing-Carrier, the Resilience Award from the Changi Airline Awards, and the National Logistics Gold Award for SriLankan Cargo.
2023: Won the APEX IFSA Best Inflight Food or Beverage 2024 Award for SriLankan Flavours, a four-star rating in the Major Airline category at the APEX Awards, Best International Cargo Airline from India Cargo Awards, the PATA Gold Award for Marketing-Carrier, and the Emerging Cargo Airline Award from Arabian Cargo Awards. Became the first airline ground operator in South Asia to introduce a self-service check-in and bag drop facility from SITA, the global leader in airport technology, for international travel.
2024: Received the PATA Gold Award for Marketing-Carrier.
“Forty-five years is a long time in any industry, but achieving this milestone in the commercial airline sector is an even greater feat. SriLankan Airlines is one of the oldest commercial airlines in this region, and we are incredibly proud of our journey over the past 45 years, despite the challenges we have faced. Through it all, SriLankan has remained steadfast in its commitment to our loyal customers and in supporting Sri Lanka through every high and low,” reflected Ashok Pathirage, Chairman of SriLankan Airlines.
“On this occasion, it is important to express our gratitude to our people. We owe our successes and resilience to every individual within the airline, both current and past, who has dedicated themselves and made sacrifices for our success. As we celebrate our achievements, we will also focus on our vision for the future, striving to be the airline of choice for travellers seeking an authentic Sri Lankan experience, personified by the warmth and hospitality of our people,” added Richard Nuttall, Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines.
