SriLankan Airlines Delivers 22% Passenger Surge

COLOMBO (News 1st); SriLankan Airlines has reported a 10% increase in passenger revenue during the first five months of the 2025/26 financial year, alongside a 22% rise in passenger numbers and a 10% growth in capacity, marking a strong start to its newly launched five-year strategic plan.

The national carrier’s renewed strategy aligns commercial ambition with operational excellence, stakeholder engagement, and environmental stewardship. 

Under its current leadership, SriLankan has made notable progress in fleet optimisation, customer experience, talent development, sustainability, cost rationalisation, and debt restructuring.

A key contributor to the revenue surge has been route rationalisation, demand-synchronised scheduling, and enhanced digital sales platforms. 

Revised timings on Indian routes — including Bangalore, Kochi, and Hyderabad — have helped tap into the growing Indian leisure market. 

From July 2025, the airline introduced double daily services to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok, and added four new flights to Dubai, supported by dynamic capacity management across short and medium-haul routes.

Operationally, SriLankan Airlines has improved its on-time performance to 74%, up from 69% in 2024, despite global challenges in engine availability and spare parts.

The airline credits its agile fleet management and advanced software systems for enabling faster maintenance turnarounds, proactive scheduling, and improved inventory control.

Two previously grounded aircraft have returned to service, with a third expected to join operations early next year. 

In June, the airline also welcomed a leased Airbus A330-200, its first wide-body fleet addition in seven years.

On the customer experience front, SriLankan has introduced wireless inflight entertainment, the AI-powered chatbot ‘Yaana’, and smart airport self-service solutions, contributing to a positive trend in passenger satisfaction.

As a regional leader in sustainability, the airline has implemented measures to reduce waste and optimise fuel usage through digital flight monitoring, automated office processes, and energy-saving practices at SriLankan Catering.