Sri Lanka’s aviation sector continues to witness the emergence of proposed airline ventures, with the latest being LotusAir, a planned domestic carrier backed by Ambassador Air Group International LLC (AAGI), a San Diego-based aviation company.
According to details published on CAPA – Centre for Aviation and Ambassador Air Group’s official website, LotusAir is a joint venture between AAGI and a local Sri Lankan partner. The project, supported by USD 100 million in start-up capital, aims to launch operations from Ratmalana and Mattala airports, initially serving 12 domestic destinations including Palali, Sigiriya, Katharagama and Trincomalee, before expanding to India and the Maldives.
While the airline was originally expected to commence in 2018, the revised timeline now targets a 2026 launch, though no official confirmation has been made to date.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first proposed airline to surface in Sri Lanka recently. Another venture named Air Ceilao made headlines earlier this year, even calling for cabin crew applications, but no further updates have followed. Before that, Peace Air appeared with similar ambitions, which also did not progress beyond the initial announcements.
In recent years, Sri Lanka has seen several proposed airline projects that generate significant public interest and media attention at the outset, but often fail to move beyond the planning stage. As such, it remains to be seen whether LotusAir will turn its ambitious plans into reality.
Links for reference:
Ambassador Air Group – https://ambassadorairgroup.com
