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.
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The dreaded ‘second wave’ hits India
The iniquities of vaccination and the impact on air travel India is ablaze. Not with forest fires, but funeral pyres as the COVID-19 pandemic is undergoing a vicious second-wave in the region. With over 1.8 million confirmed cases and more than 200,000 deaths India is now surging towards breaking all records in this pandemic.…
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Crisis or Opportunity?
Is this a good time to start a new airline? There is a common misconception that the Chinese character for ‘crisis’ is a combination of ‘danger’ and ‘opportunity’. While this is not strictly true, the concept is valid. COVID-19 has decimated the airline industry. Only the largess of governments worldwide has kept airlines alive. Now,…
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Sri Lanka’s aviation sector stirs to life
FITS Air acquires an Airbus A320 FITS Air, formerly ExpoAir, has recently taken delivery of an Airbus A320, becoming the first private airline in Sri Lanka to do so. This is a landmark occasion for Sri Lankan aviation, one that the airline’s owner’s hope will usher in a new and successful era. In a previous…
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The disappearance of the Boeing 777— has the mystery been solved?
MH370 — Seven years later This is the third time I have written about the tragic case of MH370. I hope that we can resolve this mysery and find some closure for the families who are left behind. Seven years have passed since a Boeing 777–200ER operated by Malaysia Airlines, using the call sign MH370,…
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Mass tourism in the teeth of a pandemic
An experiment in the Gulf The Arabian Gulf, known for its torrid summer heat, is at its best during the short winter. December is particularly lovely, with warm daytime temperatures, cool nights, light winds and calm seas. Perfect vacation weather compared to northern Europe, which is dank and gloomy by then. What better time to…
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The crash of Icelandic Airlines flight LL001 – Part 2
The crash of Icelandic Airlines flight LL001 – the aftermath The tragic crash of Flight LL001, a Douglas DC-8-63CF operated by Icelandic Airlines and chartered by Garuda Indonesia, in November 1978 sent shock waves through Sri Lanka. The island was just emerging from a long period of self-imposed isolation. In November 1978, when the accident…
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The crash of Icelandic Airlines flight LL001 — Part 1
The crash of Icelandic Airlines flight LL-001 In 1978 Sri Lanka was emerging from a long period of economic isolation. A landmark election the year before had ushered in a change of government, with a mandate to open up the economy. Rebuilding ties with the West, long-ignored during a period of austerity and socialist policies,…
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Martinair Flight 138 – Sri Lanka’s worst air disaster
It was December 1974 and the Hajj was in full swing. The Hajj has been called the greatest pilgrimage movement in the world, with millions of devout Muslims travelling to Mecca every year. It is a requirement for every Muslim to accomplish the Hajj at least once in their lifetime. This has been a lucrative…
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The ‘end of the beginning’?
Will vaccines be the ‘silver bullet’ that restores the travel industry? The first death attributed to a ‘novel coronavirus’ named COVID-19 occurred on January 10, 2020. The first case detected outside China was confirmed in Bangkok, Thailand on January 13– just three days later. The day before that, Chinese scientists had released the genetic sequence…
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Aviation’s worst year is far from over
It all started off so well. Many airlines were coming off a record year of travel in 2019, oil prices had been stable, and the world just loved traveling. Emirates, one of the fastest-growing airlines of the last few years, recorded its most profitable quarter ever, from January to March 2020 with its fleet of…
