SriLankan records 80 percent passenger increase

Lakshmi de Silva

Airlines worldwide faced losses due to the global economic downturn in the past years and SriLankan Airlines also felt the recession during that period but it had the courage to face the burden and move forward.

“During September and October in the current year the passengers carried by us increased by 80 percent and the revenue was increasing,” SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickramasingha said at a press conference at the Ports and Aviation Ministry yesterday.

“The challenge we face now is to increase our income further and strategies have been evolved to achieve that. One such step is to use Information Technology and to increase the number of flights to Europe up to 200 during the coming winter season. A new service to Milano, Italy is to be started on December 16 and we are going to restart the suspended flights to Maldives and Singapore,” he said.

Chief Executive Officer Manoj Gunawardena said SriLankan Airline’s vision is very clear with a long term plan to improve its standards and the allegations made against the airline are totally baseless.

It has a very stable position and would not collapse, he said. Mihin Lanka had leased one aircraft from SriLankan Airlines on rent lease basis and pays a monthly rental.

From January to August this year its revenue had increased by 300 percent and would improve as a business venture, Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena said.