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Showdown on
SriLankan deal A team headed by the Emirates boss Tim Clark has flown here on a trouble-shooting mission amidst demands by Sri Lankan government leaders, especially Aviation Minister Tilak Marapana, that the deal must be revised in Sri Lanka's favour. Underlining the importance of the talks, the government has named some heavyweights for its negotiating team led by Minister Marapana. Assisting him will be UNP chairman Malik Samarawickrema, Finance Ministry Secretary Charitha Ratwatte and policy planning advisor R. Paskaralingam. On the eve of the talks, Mr. Marapana told The Sunday Times that he would insist that the Emirates-managed national carrier must give up its monopoly on catering and ground handling to allow competitiveness. At present, SriLankan Airlines under Emirates management has sole rights over flights from Colombo. Minister Marapana said he was looking for a revision there also whereby the Civil Aviation Department would have the power to authorise charter flights from Colombo on routes not covered by SriLankan Airlines. Mr. Marapana said the UNF government had a broader vision for the national carrier and wanted to make the BIA a hub for aviation in the region. For that purpose, the government wanted a significant revision of the agreement. "We have explained to the Emirates management as to why we want to revise the agreement. We want to look into the agreement in the larger context of the country's interest. The government won't let the present agreement to stand in the way for the development of the country," Mr. Marapana said. He said that they would request Emirates management team appointed by the government for SriLankan Airlines be given more powers. But Mr. Clark was quoted in a media report as saying a deal was a deal and his side would insist on conformity to the agreement for the stipulated period. |
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