Deccan first in the region to fly GA8 Airvan

Deccan Aviation Lanka, Sri Lanka’s leading domestic airline became the first airline in the region to operate the GA series aircraft when its maiden commercial flight took to the skies outbound from the Ratmalana domestic airport to Wirawila.

“Flying at an altitude of 1500 feet, it took us one hour from Ratmalana to Wirawaila, the views were breathtaking! The personal touch and friendly service of Deccan made every minute of our time more memorable and exciting”, said one of the passengers.

Deccan Aviation Director/CEO Denham Schokman said, “The guests are extremely happy with their flight and it’s a proud moment for all of us at Deccan. The GA 8 is an excellent complement to our rotorcraft capability. Our fleet is now ideally suited to service our clients in terms of reliability, comfort and convenience. With the helicopter and GA 8 combined we can now fly up to 10 passengers, which is unmatched in domestic aviation.”

As part of its premium services, Deccan Aviation provides a fast track escorted service for guests who board their flight from the Bandaranaike International Airport. It also provides ground transport for guests to and from the takeoff and landing points with a fleet of chauffeur driven luxury vehicles.

“Sri Lanka has 14 landing strips or runways but not all of them are in good condition.

Given the GA8 Airvan’s sheer adaptability, we can takeoff or land from any of these airstrips including gravel, grass or beach strips,” Schokman added.

George Morgan, the founder of Gippsland Aeronautics whose Australia based Gippsaero Pty Ltd manufactures the aircraft said that of the 169 GA8 Airvans in operation around the world today, Deccan Aviation is the only company that has invested in customising its GA8 aircraft to such a great extent.

Among the special features of the aeroplane are plush leather seats, carpeted flooring, custom fitted personal music systems with individual noise cancelling headsets and DVD screen with plug and play music options. Added to this are the large curved windows which afford excellent visibility for every passenger.

The GA8 Airvan is also ideal for high altitude sports with its para jumping and sky diving equipment for extreme sports enthusiasts while its low and slow flying manoeuvrability is ideal for whale and dolphin watching, filming, photography and other aerial excursions.

“Our goal has always been to innovate and re-invent the travel experience in domestic aviation. Given the rich diversity of Sri Lanka, we’ve put together a wide array of sightseeing and weekend packages to destinations such as Sigiriya, Sri Pada, Anuradhapura, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee, Ampara, Batticaloa, Wirawila and scenic tours along the country’s coastline. We’ve even teamed up with major banks to offer our guests interest-free easy payment schemes and there is strong interest from both our Sri Lankan and expatriate clientele,” Schokman added. In a short span of seven years, Deccan Aviation Lanka has grown to be Sri Lanka’s leading domestic airline and the only one offering customers the choice of both helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Enriching the variety of its domestic flying experience offered to a rapidly growing clientele, Deccan is today the airline of choice of both business and leisure travellers who place a premium on service, comfort and safety.