SriLankan retrenches staff, BIA readies for reopening
SriLankan Airlines has downsized staff with about a thousand already retrenched, the airline’s Chairman Ashok Pathirage said on Tuesday.
“We have retrenched contract and trainees and reduced outsourced staff,” Mr. Pathirage said adding that there would have been about a total of 1000.
When queried whether there would be further retrenchment of staff, the chairman noted, “We have reduced as much as possible.”
He noted that they expect to open and resume operations in June and in this respect they are working together with the Airport and Aviation Authority.
“We are taking all precautionary measures to make sure passengers and crew are safe,” Mr. Pathirage noted.
However the Chairman pointed out that at present there is no confirmed date to resume operations as the government has to decide on this and that would also depend on the situation in the other destinations.
“Those destinations have to be ready,” he said adding that Sri Lanka is likely to follow the rest of the world in opening up and flying out.
Commenting on the change of routes, he explained that they would have to consider new routes and curtail others going forward. “It all depends on how the global situation is going to change,” he said.
For instance SriLankan has been operating a number of flights to India but now this would depend on them opening up, he explained.
In April the airline announced they were implementing cost-saving measures like a mandatory 2.5 to 25 per cent staff salary reductions for a period of three months and a freeze of all salary increments for this year.
Asked whether the government is planning a bail-out package for the carrier given the fact that the airline had to stop all scheduled operations except cargo, Mr. Pathirage did not wish to comment.
Even as most airports worldwide are continuing to welcome only their citizens home from various parts of the world, Sri Lanka’s airport is preparing like some of its counterparts to engage in safe and secure measures for the future opening.
Sri Lanka is now considering opening up the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for passenger traffic of not only Sri Lankans but also other essential travellers as well like diplomatic officials and medical professionals following special permission, board member of Airport and Aviation Services Ltd. Thilak Weerasinghe told the Business Times.
He noted that increased number of thermal scanners would be installed at the airport and discussions with the Ministry of Health carried out indicated that health clearance would be key in allowing future arrivals to the country.