Future of Sri Lankan airlines!

(December, 27, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) With the agreement between SriLankan Airlines and Emirates Airline coming to an end in March 2008 and the haphazard way President Rajapakse intervened to cancel the work permit of Emirates-seconded CEO SriLankan Airlines, Peter Hill is expected to have wide ranging consequence for the Airlines.

Since the election of Mihinda Rajapakse, governance in Sri Lanka is fast deteriorating to become a terror regime like Mugabe rule in Zimbabwe. The present government with its over one hundred odd ministers are peddling their way in all walks of life of the nation.

The latest Sri Lankan Airline crisis is part of the overall hopeless situation developing in Sri Lanka. An airline which made remarkable achievement since its formation thirty years ago was achieving standards. This was further enhanced as a result of the ten year partnership agreement with the Emirates Airlines.

The present crisis at the airline started when furious President decided to cancel the work permit of the CEO Peter Hill for not providing 35 seats for him his men for a private entourage to the United Kingdom to attend his son’s passing out ceremony as a naval officer.

The President has very clearly set the future agenda for the Sri Lankan Airlines with his unethical unilateral interference. The airline is expected to operate alone until such time a feasible partner like Emirates Airline is found. Singapore Airlines which went into partnership in the past with the then Air Lanka, soon abandoned its agreement on governance issues. It is highly unlikely Sri Lankan Airlines will find a new partner in the near future.

Sri Lankan Airlines under direct control of the government is expected to undergo rapid change in its governance practices. Political interference is expected to become endemic in the running of the airline. With the monster ministerial machinery and family governance of the President, the Sri Lankan airline is expected to function as the airline of the rulers instead of the civilian passengers.

Last minute cancellations of seats to accommodate President’s and ministerial entourages will become common feature and the civilian passengers will be left stranded without recourse to compensation or any justice.

With political bureaucracy taking a heavy hand, hiring and firing of officials at the airline will be a common feature. Political interference and insensitive approach to commercial governance will lead to deteriorating service delivery. The government officials and politicians using the airline are expected not paying for the services and the airline will face financial constraints as a result of bad management due to political interference.

Airline maintenance and upkeep is expected to become the real victim of the government bureaucracy. Planes grounding at airports for technical reasons and non payment of duties are foreseen and will cause further harm to the airline. An air disaster as a result of poor maintenance cannot be ruled out.

A country that runs its affairs by printing currencies to cover the national deficit will not be able to run an airline when the President orders by pointing his finger to provide flights for his private international tours.

When this matter was discussed with a tour operator who sells Srilankan Airlines tickets he said: ‘It is a worrying situation for the passengers. Until now, I did not have difficulties in selling the tickets and if things become difficult with the airline, we may find it hard to recommend Sri Lankan Airlines tickets’.