Mihin Air craftless?

The troubled budget carrier Mihin Air is without a schedule for next month but its Head of Operations says that he has not heard of reports that the airline was preparing to suspend its operations from May 1.

Insiders said the suspension was related to the airline's inability to secure a replacement aircraft for the only one it is using now. The wet lease on this Airbus A321 plane chartered from BH Air Bulgaria, sources said expires at the end of the month and the management was unable to come up with cash up front to renew the charter.

Mihin Lanka with debts running to more than three billion rupees is said to be in dire straits with no one offering it credit. Sources said up to last night they had failed to find a replacement aircraft, even though its outgoing CEO Sajin de Vass Gunawardena went to India early this week in search of an aircraft. Mr. Gunawardena was again scheduled to leave for Europe on a similar mission today.

Mihin’s Head of Operations Athula Dissanayake contacted last night said he was not aware of any decision to suspend operations. (RA)