Expo Aviation

Infobox Airline
airline = ExpoAir

logo_size =
fleet_size = 5
destinations = 1 Jaffna
IATA = 8D
ICAO = EXV
callsign = EXPOAVI
parent = Expo Lanka Group
company_slogan = You'r Friend in the Sky
founded = 1997
headquarters = Colombo, Sri Lanka
key_people = Shafik Kassim
hubs = Bandaranaike International Airport
secondary_hubs = Dubai International Airport
focus_cities = Male, Dubai, Calicut, Trivandrum
frequent_flyer =
lounge =
alliance =
website = http://www.expoavi.com

Expo Aviation (Pvt) Ltd is an airline based in Colombo, Sri Lanka that operates Domestic Passenger Services and International Cargo Services to the Middle East and the Indian Sub-Continant. Its main base is Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo.cite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= Flight International | page= 80 | date= 2007-04-03]

History

*It is wholly owned by the Expo Lanka Group.
*The airline was established in 1997 and started operations in 1998 using 2 Antonov An-8 aircraft which was replaced by an Antonov An-12 aircraft.
*In 2001 Expo Aviation starts Domestic Passenger flight to Jaffna using an IL-18 aircraft and later replacing it with an Antonov An-26 aircraft. The same year Expo Aviation is re-named ExpoAir.
*In 2002 ExpoAir buys 3 Fokker F27 from Oman Air.
*In 2003 ExpoAir bought an IL-18.
*In 2004 ExpoAir started Cabin Crew training.
*In 2005 ExpoAir applied to the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) to operate International Passenger Services to the following destinations: Malé, Mumbai, Tiruchirapalli and Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Vizag, Kochin, Bangalore, Chennai, Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Kathmandu, Chittagong, Dhaka, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Muscat, Jeddah, Beirut, Cairo, Australia, Points in Africa, Points in Europe using Airbus A320 for short haul flights and Airbus A330 or Airbus A340 aircraft for long haul flights. [ [http://www.caa.lk/press110405.htm Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka] 11 April 2005]
*In 2006 ExpoAir added a McDonnell Douglas DC8-63CF from Air Transport International and sold the a F27 and the aging IL-18 aircraft.

Other Business

ExpoAir has a leasing arm that wet and dry leases aircraft to third parties. In 2005 a F27 was dry-leased to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and in 2006 it wet-leased a McDonnell Douglas DC8-63CF to Air Mauritius. In 2007 it dry-leased another F27 aircraft to Mihin Lanka. In 2008 it wet-leased a Beech Kingair 200 from South Africa and sub-leased the aircraft to the UN arm of WFP for operations in Sri Lanka.

Destinations

ExpoAir operates a scheduled International freight service to Lahore, Sharjah, Calicut, Male, Gan (at January 2008).Fact|date=May 2007

Fleet

The Expo Aviation fleet includes the following aircraft (at July 2008) :

*1 Antonov An-12
*1 McDonnell Douglas DC8-63CF
*2 Fokker F27 Mk500RF
*1 Beech Kingair B200

Future fleet planning:
*Bombardier CRJ-200
*Airbus A320
*Airbus A330

External links

* [http://www.expolanka.com Expo Lanka]
* [http://www.expoavi.com Expo Aviation]

References