Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

A haul of locally manufactured guns were recovered and a resident of the area was arrested after a raid was carried out on a illegal arms manufacturing plant in Megodadwawe, Anuradapura by a team of the Operations Headquarters in Colombo, police spokesman SP Preshantha Jayakody said.

Twelve locally made double barreled guns, empty bullet shells, items used for the manufacture of guns and an army fatigue was recovered while some elephant teeth and antlers were also recovered.

SriLankan Airlines, Sri Lanka's state-run national career, is upgrading its product to boost margins following a revival in tourism traffic and is expecting to turnaround later in 2010, an official said.

In the financial year ending March 2009 Sri Lankan lost 9.99 billion rupees as global air travel slumped and a conflict with Tamil Tiger separatists intensified at home. The war ended in May 2009 and tourist arrivals have since picked up.

Chief executive Manoj Gunawardena says the losses in the six months to September 2009 were less than 50 million US dollars. From the third quarter the airline had started to cut losses.

'We broke even in December 2009,' Gunawardena said. 'We are now seeing average cabin factors of 70 percent.'

The cabin or passenger factor is the share of seats sold from the total available. At times the passenger factor was as high as 80 percent, he said.

Sri Lanka has seen tourist arrivals increase by around 30 percent a month after the war ended with strong growth from Europe during the winter season.

Though traffic is good Gunawardena says some of the contracts struck with travel firms in Europe last year at discounted prices have reduced profits, but the margins would improve once new deals are struck at better prices.

'At historical ticket prices, a cabin factor of 70 percent would have been a roaring business,' Gunawardena said.

'The intention is to turn this into higher revenues.'

Sri Lankan Airlines launched a service upgrade with new menus giving a wider choice of food and beverages, with emphasis on business class and new uniforms for its staff on Tuesday.

Gunawardena says Skytrax, an airline quality ranking firm, has been engaged to audit the airline's service standards. SriLankan is hoping to push its ranking to the '5 star' category and also go deeper into the high margin business class segment.

Gunawardena says SriLankan's business class is mostly used by high end leisure travellers and with the upswing in tourism traffic there is more money to be made from up-market tourists.

'Even though we talk about the business class, we have re-designed the economy class substantially,' Gunawardena said.

He says expanded in-flight entertainment and newer aircraft is aimed at pushing up quality.

Sri Lankan operates a fleet of 12 aircraft. Last year SriLankan phased out five narrow bodied Airbus A-320s and acquired three newer aircraft. The airline has a policy of acquiring aircraft three years old or newer.

'We will acquire another two A-320 type aircraft to account for short term growth,' Gunawardena said.

'If our winter tourism business is showing good prospects we would take on a wide body aircraft to increase our long haul capacity. It could be an A330 or A340.'

The long haul aircraft could be acquired around October 2010.

'Our original plans were daily to Europe, double daily to London. The basis of our product was frequent non stop direct flights to Sri Lanka. When times were bad we combined destinations, but that is not the most viable or economical product.'

Sri Lankan Airlines is looking for two Airbus A-320 aircraft to join is fleet by late 2010 as it plans to expand the winter schedule amid a pick up in tourism traffic, chief executive Manoj Gunawardena said.

'We are looking for two narrow body Airbus A-320 aircraft to relieve A-330 aircraft from short haul routes and re-deploy them on long-haul destinations,' Gunawardena said.

SriLankan Airlines is expecting delivery of an A-330 in July, which will expand the fleet to 13 aircraft. The airline will then have five A-340 aircraft, five A-330s and three A-320s.

The airline is expecting higher traffic volumes from Europe in the peak winter season and wants to increase capacity to the continent.

Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka were up 32.3 percent in May 2010 to 35,213 from a year ago. In the five months to May arrivals were 48.5 percent to 233,922.

A 30 year conflict ended in May 2009, and travel warnings were lifted by many countries.

Sri Lankan said it will also increase flights to India by one to 50 frequencies a week in July. In August it may add another two frequencies to India.

The anchor from the world s largest ship, the ex Seawise Giant/Jahre Viking, ended its final journey in Hong Kong.

The legendary Seawise Giant/Jahre Viking measured more than 450 meters long from bow to stern and is considered the largest man made moving object ever made.

The ship was first owned by Hong Kong and then by Norwegian ship owners.

The ship s 35 ton anchor will be placed in front of the Hong Kong Maritime Museum at its new location in Central in 2012. The Norwegian government has financed the transport of the anchor to its final port of call in Hong Kong, as a token of the longstanding and close co-operation between Hong Kong and Norway in the maritime industries.

The transport was carried out by Norwegian Wilhelmsen Marine Services.

Admiral Nirmal Verma will arrive in Colombo today (June 27) for a six-day official visit, the first by a Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy since the conclusion of the war in May last year. His visit will coincide with the arrival of INS Delhi, one of three warships of its class built in India, at the Colombo harbor.

An authoritative Sri Lankan naval spokesman told The Sunday Island: 'the visit will promote bilateral relations and mutual cooperation between the two countries and help Sri Lanka to enhance security in a post-LTTE era.'

Admiral Verma will be accompanied by his wife Madhulika and a group of senior navy officers. They are scheduled to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne, External Affairs Minister G.L.Peiris, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Roshan Gunatilleke and the service commanders.

Admiral Verma is also scheduled to attend a SLN passing out parade at the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee during his almost week-long stay here. He will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest.

Sri Lankan Navy Chief Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe had an opportunity to meet Admiral Verma during the 19th Sea Power symposium held at the Naval War College in the USA and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) held in UAE.

With a displacement of 6,700t, overall length of 163m and beam of 17m, the Delhi Class is the largest warship built in India. The ship, which is fitted with sophisticated anti-ship, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine sensor and weapon systems, is commanded by Captain S. Srikant.

During the fourth phase of the Eelam war, India helped Sri Lanka to enhance her offshore patrolling capacity, which enabled the SLN to destroy several LTTE floating arsenals on the high seas. India went to the extent of giving two of her OPVs (Offshore Patrol Vessels) for deployment in the war against the LTTE, though there had been some problems, primarily due to domestic political reasons in India.

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa says despite annihilation of the LTTE s conventional military capacity, the Navy will have to be further strengthened to meet any eventuality. The Navy alongside the intelligence services, he says should be the first line of defence to thwart a fresh LTTE threat.

In a brief interview with The Sunday Island, the war veteran emphasized the pivotal importance of developing a cohesive approach as part of an overall strategy not only to tackle the LTTE, but enhance regional security as well.

Sri Lanka s first priority in a post-LTTE era would be to thwart any attempt to revive the sea smuggling network to bring in arms, ammunition and equipment and trained cadres, he said. A desperate LTTE rump would now do anything to restore at least one sea supply route, he said adding that the country could not ignore that about 12,000 LTTE cadres were either captured or surrendered during the last phase of the war.

'The Somali pirates have caused an unprecedented international crisis by targeting ships over a period of time. A few years ago, no one would have expected a rag-tag force to challenge international sea routes, but today the international community is struggling to contain the threat,' he said.

Recently Indian authorities arrested three persons suspected to be supporters of the LTTE with thousands of detonators in Tamil Nadu's Triuchirapalli district. Of them 4,900 were ordinary detonators and 430 electric detonators.

The trio had stayed in Chennai, Tiruchirappalli and Erode without registering themselves as from the island nation, the police said.

The arrests came four days after a member of LTTE was nabbed by the state police.

Sri Lankan military and External Affairs Ministry emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation to meet any eventuality. Sources pointed out that a recent attempt by the NDTV network to sour Indo-Lanka relations by accusing the SLN of crossing the Indo-Lanka maritime boundary to attack Indian fishermen. It alleged that about 300 Indians had been killed at the hands of the SLN since the conclusion of the war, a charge denied by Navy headquarters.

In compliance with Indian Navy Chief s visit to Sri Lanka, Indian Navy Ship INS Delhi arrived at Port of Colombo today (27 June 2010) on a goodwill visit. Upon the arrival at the port, She was ceremonially welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy and the officials of the Government of Sri Lanka.

INS Delhi is a destroyer with a displacement of 6900 tons and is 163 meters in length and 17 meters in breadth. It has a complement of 410 naval personnel including 50 officers and 360 sailors and is commanded by Captain S.Srikant.

During the stay here, the INS Dilhi is scheduled to participate in special programmes organized by Sri Lanka Navy to enhance the relationship between the two neighboring Navies.