“SriLankan Airlines to replace staff vehicles with hybrid cars”
SriLankan Airlines has sent the following clarification to the story under the above headline carried last week: ”SriLankan Airlines prides itself on the many pioneering environmental friendly initiatives it has launched to be carbon neutral espousing planet friendly aviation. Unlike other regional and world carriers with financial strength, SriLankan Airlines has not had the luxury of engaging in extensive investments to be environmental friendly. We have managed with innovation and creativity to suit our needs based on best practices such as our own ‘carbon offset calculator’ where we give the passenger an option to pay for the emission component of his own travel.
With regard to the comment on our vehicle fleet, answering a question on our future plans at a recent press briefing, what we mentioned was that we would encourage and incentivise our staff to use green vehicles in the future and would look at the possibility of having hybrid or electric cars when we hire same for our own staff.” ”SriLankan Airlines as a policy does not buy vehicles for its staff but provide either hired vehicles or on operating leases to avoid maintenance expenses and capital being tied up. In this instance too, if we make a decision we would request our suppliers to provide environmental friendly vehicles if it can be done without any cost additions or if it brings in other cost advantages into our operations. Without an overall cost benefit analysis these initiatives will not be launched.”