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 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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Airlines in the Maldives
Airlines of South Asia – Part 5 The Maldives Air Maldives With the launch of scheduled flights to the Maldives (Maldive Islands) archipelago by Air Ceylon in 1967, the tourism industry to these idyllic islands was born. Realizing the vital importance of an air service to their small nation, the government of the Maldives took…
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Air Ceylon
Airlines of South Asia – Part 4 Air Ceylon As already mentioned in this series, Colombo was the first overseas destination of Tata Air Lines in 1938. As independence from Britain approached after the Second World War, the Government of Ceylon decided to set up its own airline. Named Air Ceylon and equipped with three…
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PIA and Biman
Airlines of South Asia – Part 3 Pakistan and Bangladesh With the creation of Pakistan in 1947 came a conundrum. The newly formed nation was physically split into two parts, the larger western portion comprising the Sindh, North West frontier province, Punjab and Baluchistan. This was separated from the eastern portion, which was primarily the…
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Indian Airlines – a regional giant
Part 2 – Indian Airlines The government of India nationalised domestic airlines in 1953 to set up two state-owned carriers. This was in keeping with global trends, the British government having established two state-owned airlines to serve its transport needs, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) for international flights and British European Airways, (BEA) for regional…
