Interim panel to manage SriLankan Airlines?
View(s):The Government this week accepted the resignations of the directors of the troubled national carrier and was preparing to appoint an interim panel to manage the airline during the restructuring process.
“Yes, the Government has accepted the resignations,” a source at the officials’ committee assisting the Ministerial committee in the restructure process, said. “An interim team will be appointed to manage the airline during the restructure transformation,” he said.
The Business Times learns that business and management professional Thilan Wijesinghe, a former chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI), is tipped to head the interim team at SriLankan Airlines. Mr. Wijesinghe, who was unavailable for contact, is currently an advisor to the Government.
Sources at the airline said that airline chairman Ajit Dias is learnt to have stepped down on Friday.
They said Mr. Dias and the CEO Suren Ratwatte addressed the staff on Tuesday January 2 at a customary New Year meeting where Mr. Dias had hinted that he was stepping down.
All the directors, barring one – Harendra K. Balapatabendi -, sent in their resignations some weeks ago to enable the Government to restructure the airline.
The airline which has barely managed to stay afloat has been struggling with accumulated losses from management issues by the previous regime, and a massive compensation payment owing to a decision to cancel new Airbus orders.