LNP – Government scraps SriLankan Airlines privatization plan

The current government has decided to reverse the previous administration’s decision to privatize the airline, the President’s Media Division said.

Instead, it plans to continue operating it as the national carrier while introducing a new management structure to ensure its profitability moving forward.

This was revealed during a high-level discussion held between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and senior officials of SriLankan Airlines at the Presidential Secretariat.

The meeting focused on charting a sustainable future for SriLankan Airlines by implementing a series of reforms aimed at improving profitability, addressing mounting debt, and exploring investment opportunities.

President Dissanayake stressed the need for urgent measures to overhaul management and operational systems, noting that despite achieving operational profits in recent times, the airline remains one of the most loss-making state-owned enterprises due to years of financial mismanagement.

He called on officials to take bold and practical steps to transform the airline into a successful and self-sustaining public asset. “SriLankan Airlines must be rebuilt into a profitable national carrier that serves both the public and the country’s economic goals,” the President stated.