Most Sri Lankans prefer national carrier to be managed by the state – RCB poll
View(s):Most Sri Lankans have expressed a view that the loss-making national carrier should continue under state control and management, despite management weaknesses. According to a street poll undertaken by Research Consultancy Bureau (RCB), the Business Times (BT) polling partner, about three weeks ago on the future of the SriLankan Airlines (SLA), most respondents were in favour of the statuesque remaining. Asked whether SLA should be managed by a foreign operator, 47 per cent said NO while 26 per cent said YES.
To the question as to whether SLA should be managed by a foreign partner which would also have an equity stake, 61 per cent said NO. Asked whether the government should retain management and ownership of the airline, 52 per cent YES. This is in contrast to the results of the BT poll conducted earlier on email and whose respondents represented the middle and upper classes in society, where the response was 71.4 per cent ‘YES’ to foreign management; 67 per cent said YES to SLA being foreign managed with part foreign equity while 78.6 per cent said NO to the state continuing to manage and control the airline.