A decision taken by the previous administration to privatise SriLankan Airlines has been scrapped, the President’s Media Unit said.
A meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and senior officials of SriLankan Airlines was held at the Presidential Secretariat.
The discussions mainly focused on proposals to transform SriLankan Airlines into a more profitable state-owned enterprise.
Special attention was also given to possible short-term and long-term solutions for the airline’s debt management.
The talks further explored new investment opportunities for the airline. The President instructed the officials to take all necessary steps to transform SriLankan Airlines into a profit-making entity.
Although the airline has recorded operational profits, due to past mismanagement and poor decision-making, it remains one of the leading loss-making state enterprises.
The current government has decided to reverse the previous administration’s decision to privatize the airline. Instead, it plans to continue operating it as the national carrier while introducing a new management structure to ensure its profitability moving forward.
Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, President’s Senior Advisor Duminda Hulangamuwa, Chairman of SriLankan Airlines Sarath Ganegoda along with several senior officials of SriLankan Airlines, were present at the meeting.