View source for FitsAir

{{Short description|Sri Lankan airline}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = FitsAir
| logo = Fitsair_logo.png
| logo_size = 250px
| alt = FitsAir logo
| destinations = 4
| fleet_size = 3
| IATA = 8D
| ICAO = EXV
| callsign = EXPOAVIA
| parent = 
| founded = {{Start date and age|1997}} (as Expo Aviation)
| headquarters = [[Colombo]], [[Sri Lanka]]
| aoc = 
| hubs = <div>
*[[Bandaranaike International Airport]]
*[[Ratmalana Airport]]
</div>
| secondary_hubs = 
| focus_cities = <div>
*[[Soekarno-Hatta International Airport|Jakarta]]
*[[Suvarnabhumi Airport|Bangkok]]
*[[Kuala Lumpur International Airport|Kuala Lumpur]]
*[[Dubai International Airport|Dubai]]
*[[Velana International Airport|Malé]]
</div>
| frequent_flyer = 
| lounge = 
| alliance = 
| num_employees = 
| website = {{URL|http://www.fitsair.com}}
}}
'''FITS Aviation (Pvt) Limited''', [[Doing business as|DBA]] '''FitsAir''' (formerly known as '''ExpoAir'''), is a [[Sri Lanka]]n [[airline]]. It operates scheduled passenger services within Sri Lanka, as well as international flights to several cities in the [[Middle East]], [[Southeast Asia]] and [[Africa]], and also operates charter flights to [[India]]. The company slogan is ''Friend In The Skies.'' FitsAir is a subsidiary of Aberdeen Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, a diversified conglomerate headquartered in Sri Lanka.

ExpoAir was the first airline in Sri Lanka to be certified under the [[International Civil Aviation Organization]] (ICAO) annex requirements, as well as being the first domestic airline to be certified by the Department of Civil Aviation to commence flights to [[Jaffna]].

== History ==
[[File:FitsAir logo.png|thumb|Former logo of FitsAir]]
[[File:Expo Air Douglas DC-8-63CF Rioux.jpg|thumb|262px|Expo Air's DC-8 at Mauritius. (2006)]]

Expo Aviation was established in 1997, with operations commencing in 1998 using 2 [[Antonov]] [[An-8]] aircraft, which were later replaced by [[An-12]]s.
 
In 2001, Expo Aviation started domestic operations to [[Jaffna]] using [[Ilyushin Il-18]] and Antonov [[An-26]] aircraft. Soon after this, the airline was renamed ExpoAir.

The next year, in 2002, the airline leased 3 [[Fokker F27]] aircraft from [[Oman Air]]. An additional [[Ilyushin Il-18|IL-18]] started operating in 2003, and ExpoAir launched cabin crew training in 2004.

In 2005, Expo Air applied to the ''Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL)'' to operate international air cargo services to [[Malé]], [[Mumbai]], [[Tiruchirapalli]], [[Thiruvananthapuram]], [[Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh|Hyderabad]], [[Visakhapatnam|Vizag]], [[Kochi, India|Kochi]], [[Bangalore]], [[Chennai]], [[Islamabad]], [[Lahore]], [[Karachi]], [[Kathmandu]], [[Chittagong]], [[Dhaka]], [[Bangkok]], [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Singapore]], [[Jakarta]], [[Manila]], [[Dubai]], [[Abu Dhabi]], [[Sharjah (city)|Sharjah]], [[Muscat, Oman|Muscat]], [[Jeddah]], [[Beirut]], and [[Cairo]], as well as various cities in [[Australia]], [[Africa]], and [[Europe]], with the short-haul routes utilizing the [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320]] and long-haul routes utilizing the [[Airbus A330]] and [[Airbus A340]] models.<ref>[http://www.caa.lk/press110405.htm Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061013160411/http://www.caa.lk/press110405.htm |date=October 13, 2006 }} 11 April 2005</ref> In 2006, ExpoAir added a [[Douglas Aircraft Company|Douglas]] [[DC-8]] to its fleet and sold a [[Fokker 27]].

Starting in January 2012, Expo Air relaunched its scheduled passenger flights from [[Ratmalana Airport]] to [[Jaffna Airport]] with a brand-new [[Cessna 208 Caravan]]. The aircraft has 12 seats and passengers are able to reach Jaffna in less than 1 hour.

In 2019, the airline expanded its domestic operations by introducing scheduled flights from [[Bandaranaike International Airport|Colombo]] to [[Batticaloa International Airport|Batticaloa]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/190310/magazine/fitsair-expands-with-scheduled-flights-339233.html|title=FitsAir expands with scheduled flights|last=|first=|date=2019-03-10|website=The Sunday Times Sri Lanka|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-10-30}}</ref>

Scheduled domestic operations to [[Jaffna International Airport|Jaffna]] resumed in February 2020 with three flights weekly operated on their [[ATR 72-200]].

In November 2020, the airline leased a former Thomas Cook [[Airbus A321]] modified to carry cargo to operate nonstop flights to [[Dubai International Airport|Dubai]].

In 2021, the airline got three [[A320-200]] aircraft, which are dry-leased for passenger operations. 
On 5 October 2022, FitsAir ceremonially started its very-first scheduled, commercial passenger flights, launching [[Bandaranaike International Airport|Colombo]] (CMB) to [[Dubai International Airport|Dubai]] (DXB). Later, this service was launched as a daily service due to higher demand from 26 March 2023. On 20 February 2023, airline launched [[Bandaranaike International Airport|Colombo]] (CMB) to [[Chennai International Airport|Chennai]] (MAA) service.
In May 2023, the airline crossed the 50,000 passenger mark for the first time since their scheduled passenger service started in October 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ft.lk/travel-tourism/FitsAir-crosses-first-50-000-passengers-mark/27-748062|title=FitsAir crosses first 50,000 passengers mark|last=|first=|date=2023-05-09|website=DailyFT|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2023-05-31}}</ref>

== Destinations ==

FitsAir serves 7 domestic destinations and 7 international destinations in 5 countries, as of September 2024.
[[File:FitsAir_A320s_at_Colombo_airport.jpg|thumb|FitsAir [[Airbus A320]]s parked at [[Bandaranaike International Airport]], [[Colombo]]]]

{|class="wikitable" 
|-
! Country 
! City
! Airport
! Notes
! Ref.
|-
|{{ARM}} || [[Yerevan]] || [[Zvartnots International Airport]] || {{Airline seasonal}} ||<ref name="NS24"/>
|-
|{{BAN}} || [[Dhaka]] || [[Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport]] || Passenger||<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/aviation/sri-lankas-fitsair-launches-direct-flights-dhaka-813066 | title=Sri Lanka's FitsAir launches direct flights to Dhaka | date=22 March 2024 |work=[[The Business Standard]]}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=3|{{IND}} || [[Bangalore]] || [[Kempegowda International Airport]] || {{Planned}} ||<ref name="Routes"/>
|-
| [[Chennai]] || [[Chennai International Airport]] ||style="text-align:center"| Passenger ||<ref>{{cite news|title=Sri Lanka's FitsAir launches Colombo-Chennai flight|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/sri-lankas-fitsair-launches-colombo-chennai-flight/article66531910.ece/|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=21 February 2023}}</ref>
|-
|[[Thiruvananthapuram|Trivandrum]] || [[Thiruvananthapuram International Airport]] ||style="text-align:center"| Passenger ||<ref name="Routes"/>|
|-

|{{INA}} || [[Jakarta]] || [[Soekarno–Hatta International Airport]] || {{Planned}} ||<ref name="Routes"/>|
|-
|{{KUW}} || [[Kuwait City]] || [[Kuwait International Airport]] || {{Planned}} ||<ref name="Routes"/>
|-
|{{MYS}} || [[Kuala Lumpur]] || [[Kuala Lumpur International Airport]] ||style="text-align:center"| Passenger ||<ref>{{cite web |last1=Liu |first1=Jim |title=FitsAir April 2025 Network Expansion |url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/250310-8dns25 |website=aeroroutes.com |publisher=Aeroroutes |access-date=11 March 2025 |date=11 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
|{{MDV}} || [[Malé]] || [[Velana International Airport]] ||style="text-align:center"| Passenger ||
|-
|{{PAK}} || [[Lahore]] || [[Allama Iqbal International Airport]] || style="text-align:center"| Cargo ||
|-
|rowspan=10|{{SRI}} || [[Anuradhapura]] || [[Anuradhapura Airport]] || {{Airline seasonal|Charter}} ||<ref name="FitsAirDomestic"/>
|-
|[[Batticaloa]] || [[Batticaloa International Airport]] || {{Airline seasonal|Charter}} ||<ref name="FitsAirDomestic"/>
|-
|rowspan=2| [[Colombo]] || [[Bandaranaike International Airport]] || {{Airline hub}} ||
|-
|[[Ratmalana Airport]] || {{Airline hub}} || 
|-
|[[Hambantota]] || [[Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport]] || {{Airline seasonal|Charter}} ||<ref name="FitsAirDomestic"/>
|-
|[[Jaffna]] || [[Jaffna International Airport]] ||style="text-align:center"| <small>Passenger + Cargo</small> ||<ref>{{cite news|title=FitsAir launches schedule flights to Jaffna|url=https://archives1.dailynews.lk/2020/02/03/finance/210250/fitsair-launches-schedule-flights-jaffna?page=29|newspaper=[[Daily News (Sri Lanka)|Daily News]]|date=3 February 2020}}</ref>
|-
|[[Koggala]] || [[Koggala Airport]] || {{Airline seasonal|Charter}} ||<ref name="FitsAirDomestic"/>
|-
|[[Sigiriya]] || [[Sigiriya Airport]] || {{Airline seasonal|Charter}} ||<ref name="FitsAirDomestic">{{cite news|title=FitsAir expands operations with launch of charter and scheduled flights |url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/240723-8dns24evn|work=[[Daily News (Sri Lanka)|Daily News]]|date=4 March 2019}}</ref>
|-
|[[Trincomalee]] || [[China Bay Airport]] || {{Airline seasonal|Charter}} ||<ref name="FitsAirDomestic"/>
|-
|[[Vavuniya]] || [[Vavuniya Airport]] || {{Airline seasonal|Charter}} ||<ref name="FitsAirDomestic"/>
|-
|rowspan=2|{{KSA}} || [[Jeddah]] || [[King Abdulaziz International Airport]] || {{Planned}} ||<ref name="Routes"/>
|-
|[[Riyadh]] || [[King Khalid International Airport]] ||style="text-align:center"| From 26 June ||<ref>{{cite web |last1=Liu |first1=Jim |title=FitsAir April 2025 Network Expansion |url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/250310-8dns25 |website=aeroroutes.com |publisher=Aeroroutes |access-date=11 March 2025 |date=11 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
|{{SIN}} || [[Singapore]] || [[Changi Airport]] || {{Planned}} ||<ref name="Routes"/>
|-
|{{THA}} || [[Bangkok]] || [[Suvarnabhumi Airport]] || {{Planned}} ||<ref name="Routes">{{cite news|work=FitsAir|title=Where We Fly {{!}} FitsAir |url=https://fitsair.com/where-we-fly/}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=3|{{Flag|UAE}} || [[Dubai]] || [[Dubai International Airport]] ||style="text-align:center"| <small>Passenger + Cargo</small>||<ref>{{cite web | url=https://bizenglish.adaderana.lk/fitsair-off-to-a-flying-start-with-inaugural-flight-to-dubai/ | title=FitsAir off to a flying start with inaugural flight to Dubai | date=26 September 2022 |work=[[TV Derana|Ada Derana]]}}</ref><ref name="Routes"/>
|-
|[[Fujairah]] || [[Fujairah International Airport]] || {{Airline seasonal}} ||<ref name="NS24">{{cite news|title=FITSAIR NS24 MALDIVES – ARMENIA OPERATION CHANGES|url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/240723-8dns24evn|work=AeroRoutes|date=}}</ref>
|-
|[[Sharjah]] || [[Sharjah International Airport]] || {{Airline seasonal}} ||<ref name="NS24"/>
|}

=== Interline agreements ===
* [[Air Astana]]<ref name="AirAstanaInterline">{{cite web|url=https://airastana.com/global-en/information/airline-partners|title=Airline Partners|publisher=[[Air Astana]]|access-date=14 July 2024}}</ref>
* [[APG Airlines]]<ref>{{cite web|title=A-Z of Our Partner Airlines|url=https://www.apgiet.com/all-partner-airlines.html|publisher=[[APG Airlines]]|accessdate=22 April 2025}}</ref>
* Hahn Air<ref>{{cite web|title=Partner Carriers|publisher=Hahn Air|access-date=23 April 2025|url=https://www.hahnair.com/en/partner-carriers}}</ref>

== Fleet ==
{{multiple image|total_width=360
|image1=4R-EXO Cessna 208 Caravan EX.jpg
|image2=4R-EXR Airbus A320-232.jpg
|footer=(L-R) FitsAir [[Cessna 208B Grand Caravan]] and [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320-232]]}}

{|class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|+'''FitsAir'''
|- bgcolor=052174
!<span style="color:white;">Aircraft</span>
!<span style="color:white;">Total</span>
!<span style="color:white;">Orders</span>
!<span style="color:white;">Passengers<br><small>(Economy)</small></span>
!<span style="color:white;">Remarks</span>
|-
|[[Airbus A320|Airbus A320-200]]
|style="text-align:center;" |3
|style="text-align:center;" | -
|style="text-align:center;" |[[Premium economy class|C]]8 [[Economy class|Y]]156
|style="text-align:center;" |4R-EXQ, 4R-EXR, 4R-EXS
|-
|[[Cessna 208B Grand Caravan]]
| style="text-align:center;" |1
| style="text-align:center;" |  -
| style="text-align:center;" |12
| style="text-align:center;" |4R-EXO Wet leased by David Peiris Aviation
|-
|[[Cessna 152]]
| style="text-align:center;" |1
| style="text-align:center;" |  -
| style="text-align:center;" |  -
| style="text-align:center;" |4R-FAB Operated by Flying Angel's Flight Academy
|-
|[[Cessna 150]]
| style="text-align:center;" |1
| style="text-align:center;" |  -
| style="text-align:center;" |  -
| style="text-align:center;" |4R-FAC Operated by Flying Angel's Flight Academy
|-
|'''Total'''
!6
!-
!
!
|}

===Historical fleet===

{| class="wikitable"
|+ '''FitsAir Mainline Historical Fleet '''
|-
!Aircraft
!Introduced
!Retired
!Passengers
!Notes
|-
|[[Antonov An-8]]
| style="text-align:center" |3
| style="text-align:center" |3
|
| style="text-align:center" |''4R-EXA'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aircraft 4R-EXA (Antonov An-8 C/N 0Zh3410) Photo by Andy Graf - VAP (Photo ID: AC862803) |url=https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/000862803.html |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=www.airport-data.com}}</ref> ''4R-EXB'', ''3C-ZZO''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Soviet Database |url=https://www.scramble.nl/database/soviet/details/21_16398 |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=www.scramble.nl}}</ref>
|-
|[[Antonov An-12B]]
| style="text-align:center" |1
| style="text-align:center" |1
| style="text-align:center;"|0
| style="text-align:center" |''4R-EXC''<ref>{{Cite web |title=4R-EXC {{!}} Antonov An-12 {{!}} Expo Air {{!}} propfreak |url=https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/6122899 |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=JetPhotos |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Antonov An-24RV]]
| style="text-align:center" |1
| style="text-align:center" |1
|
| style="text-align:center" |''EX-24808''<ref>{{Cite web |title=AN24 EX-24808 by Chris Doggett |url=https://pbase.com/fstopintl/image/116183226 |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=PBase |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|[[Fokker F27]]
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|52
| style="text-align:center;"|''4R-EXG'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=4R-EXG Expo Aviation Fokker F-27-500 - PlaneLogger - Aircraft Registration & Airline Fleet Listings - PlaneLogger |url=https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/4R-EXG/697020 |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=www.planelogger.com}}</ref> ''4R-EXH'', ''4R-EXK (ex- 4R-MRA, 4R-EXF)''<ref>{{Cite web |title=4R-EXK Expo Air Fokker F-27-500 - PlaneLogger - Aircraft Registration & Airline Fleet Listings - PlaneLogger |url=https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/4R-EXK/697025 |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=www.planelogger.com}}</ref>

|-
|[[Ilyushin Il-18]]
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|0
| style="text-align:center;"|''4R-EXD'', ''UR-CFR'', ''EX-005''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Accident Ilyushin Il-18D EX-005, |url=https://aviation-safety.net/asndb/322677 |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=aviation-safety.net}}</ref>
|-
|[[Douglas DC-8-63CF]]
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|0
| style="text-align:center;"|''4R-EXJ''
|-
|[[Cessna 208B Grand Caravan]]
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|12
| style="text-align:center;"|''4R-EXP (ex- 4R-EXL)''
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-80|McDonnell Douglas MD-82(SF)]]
|style="text-align:center;"|1
|style="text-align:center;"|1
|style="text-align:center;"|0
|style="text-align:center;"|''4R-EXM''
|-
|[[Airbus A321-200]]
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|0
| style="text-align:center;"|''LY-VEH''
|-
|[[ATR 72-200]]
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|66
| style="text-align:center;"|''4R-EXN''<ref>{{Cite web |title=4R-EXN {{!}} ATR 72-202 {{!}} Fits Air {{!}} Dihain_SL |url=https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/10556287 |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=JetPhotos |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Cessna 152]]
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|0
| style="text-align:center;"|''4R-FAA''
|}

== Other business ==

ExpoAir has a leasing arm that wet- and dry-leases aircraft to third parties. In 2005, an [[Fokker F27|F27]] was dry-leased to [[Pakistan International Airlines]], and in 2006, the airline wet-leased a [[Douglas DC-8|Douglas DC-8-63CF]] to [[Air Mauritius]]. In 2007, it dry-leased another [[Fokker F27|F27]] aircraft to [[Mihin Lanka]]. In 2008, it wet-leased a [[Beech Super King Air 200]] from [[South Africa]] and sub-leased the aircraft to the [[UN]] arm of [[WFP]] for operations in Sri Lanka.
In August 2014 [[Dimonim Air]] (Indonesia) leased the sole [[ATR 72-200]], (PK-HVH), belonging to Sri Lankan carrier Fits Air, for use on its internal Indonesian network.
An Airbus A320 (4R-EXR) is on Wet leased to Air Arabia Sharjah. Air Arabia is using this on international routes from Sharjah-Karachi-Sharjah with Flight Codes G9548 and G9549.

== References ==
{{reflist}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120125044804/http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1509325093]

{{Airlines of Sri Lanka}}

[[Category:Airlines of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1997]]
[[Category:Cargo airlines]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan companies established in 1997]]