Sri Lanka’s new low-cost airline, FitsAir, will take off with international operations from October 5, 2020, operating a fleet of A320-200 and connecting Dubai, Male, and Trichy. The airline will operate three weekly flights to each of these destinations.
FitsAir will be Sri Lanka’s first private scheduled international passenger airline offering affordable and dependable air travel marking a major milestone in Sri Lanka’s aviation sector. Going ahead, the airline plans to expand operations to other SAARC nations, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
The airline is backed by Fits Aviation, a member of Aberdeen Holdings group, a privately-held diversified conglomerate headquartered in Colombo.
Aberdeen Holdings Group has roped in veteran aviation professional and CEO of Sri Lankan airlines, Peter Hill, to drive the airline operations as the Vice President of Passenger Services. During his appointment Hill said: “We are geared to offer sustainable, affordable and dependable air services on a no-frills basis to Sri Lankans as well as those in destinations we are servicing. Fits aircraft are on dry leases and the company has made arrangements to self-source the required jet fuel.”
Fits Aviation has been working on the launch of passenger services for over 12 months, Hill added.
Hill was the CEO of SriLankan Airlines from March 1997 to December 2008 and CEO of Oman Air from July 2008 to December 2011.
“As a low-cost carrier we can’t afford to lose money and FitsAir can be the second force in Sri Lanka’s aviation industry proving that the private sector can successfully operate an international scheduled services airline,” Hill concluded.