Who is Suren?
Suren Ratwatte, FRAeS, is an accomplished pilot, airline executive and aviation researcher.
He became one of the world’s first Airbus A380 Captains, was previously SriLankan Airlines’ CEO and has also been featured in several books and academic publications.
Category: Columns
-
Indigo – the regional success story
Indigo Airlines – India’s success story Indigo Airlines (ICAO:IGO IATA:6E) has emerged as the clear front-runner in a crowded airline space in India. With over 200 A320 family aircraft and 23 ATR-72s, IGO is the largest Indian carrier by any standard: aircraft employed, passengers carried, market share, revenue generated and profits declared. What terrifies the…
-
Flying the A380 Part 2 – written and published ten years ago
Flying the A380 by A Double-Decker Bus Driver 18 J a n u a r y 2 0 0 9 Puny is what most human pilots feel as they approach the simulator every six months, with their licenses and livelihoods at stake. But facing up to a simulator as part of a transition course is…
-
Who killed the A380?
Who killed the Airbus A380? As American author Mark Twain remarked in 1897, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” The Airbus A380, flagship of the world’s largest airliner manufacturer and culmination of an estimated USD 16 billion development program, is alive and well. Currently flying with 14 of the world’s most prestigious airlines,…
-
The father of Airbus
Roger Beteille – the man who reinvented the commercial airliner The visionary engineer, pilot and manager who led Airbus to some its most significant decisions, passed away last month. Roger Béteille, who was the head of French aircraft manufacturer Sud Aviation’s flight testing section, was made technical director of the infant Airbus consortium when it…
-
The Monsoon – a starter guide
The Monsoon – a basic guide The Southwest Monsoon is one of the most interesting meteorological events in the world. It is also, literally, the single biggest indicator of economic performance for the region, as most of South Asia’s farmers are reliant on the monsoon for water. The failure of the monsoon can be a…
-
The 737MAX – written a year ago
The Boeing 737 MAX – how does it affect me? The second fatal crash of Boeing’s latest aircraft, the 737 MAX 8, in Ethiopia on March 10th has reverberated around the world. The MAX is the latest iteration of Boeing’s classic 737 design that first flew in 1967 and is the world’s best-selling jet airliner,…
-
SWA – the perfection of the LCC
Southwest Airlines – the proto-LCC Southwest Airlines is a Low Cost Carrier (LCC) based in Texas, USA. The legendary Herb Kelleher founded Southwest (ICAO: SWA) in 1969 to exploit a niche in the market. At the time aviation in the USA was an oligopoly of a few major airlines controlled by the US Federal government’s…
-
What is a LCC?
What is a LCC? Low Cost Carrier, or LCC, is a term used to describe a ‘budget airline’ or ‘low-fare carrier’ which not only emphasizes low ticket prices but focuses on minimizing its operating costs too. The business model was invented almost accidentally by Southwest Airlines (ICAO code: SWA), when it was started by the…
-
Concorde – a tribute
Concorde – a tribute Aviation enthusiasts have a special place in their hearts for the Anglo-French Concorde. The world’s most famous supersonic airliner with its cruise speed of Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound), a slender fuselage, huge delta-shaped wing and drooped nose (to improve visibility during take-off and landing) which all worked together…
-
China’s giants
China’s Rising Giants China’s evolution into a global powerhouse, with the world’s second largest economy, is a familiar story. Less well known though is the tremendous growth of the nation’s state-sponsored aviation sector, which now has a global reach. Serving the world’s largest domestic market and a rapidly expanding worldwide one, China’s main airlines are…
