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For SriLankan, it was just a flight cancellation, but for 52 Korean job seekers, it was crash-landing
View(s):By Ryan Casiechetty
The hopes of 52 youths heading to South Korea to take up jobs in the fisheries industry were dashed after their flight was abruptly cancelled shortly before they were to take off.
One of them was Thilan Madhushanka, a 26-year-old from Kamburupitiya. “Airport officials told us to go home because the flight was cancelled,” a frustrated Mr Madhushanka told the Sunday Times. 
Jayalanka Mandara, a skilled worker from Elpitiya, was among those who were to fly on SriLankan Airlines’ UL470 flight to Seoul from the Bandaranaike International Airport last Tuesday at 8.20 pm. He was utterly disappointed with the airline’s irresponsible conduct, which dashed his dreams of rescuing his family from poverty. His only hope now was that the 52 youths would get another chance to fly to Korea.
However, there is uncertainty over whether they will get a call from the Korean employer. A Foreign Employment Bureau (FEB) official said they might have to wait for weeks or months, depending on vacancies. He said the bureau was trying to get them jobs as soon as possible.
The 52 youths, together with their families, are in anguish as some of them have already left their local jobs in anticipation of Korean jobs.
These skilled workers were selected
after a ‘Korean EPS Topik’ exam conducted by the bureau. Their plight was taken up in Parliament this week, with opposition member Dayasiri Jayasekara claiming the cancellation of the flight came as a result of a go-slow campaign by SriLankan Airlines’ flight officers in support of their demand that they be paid compensation promised to them in view of the risk they took working during the pandemic. The airline’s flight engineers are also on strike.
Responding, Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said the first officer who was scheduled to fly had suddenly fallen ill and could not report to work. He also said that 20 officers were on leave, and none of them was willing to assist the main pilot on this flight.
In a statement, the airline said a cockpit crew member who was scheduled for this flight was “sick” and “due to various regulations for fatigue and safety that govern operating crew, there was no available replacement until the morning of 21st.”
A day before the group was hit by the
airport shock, FEB held a reception for them, with Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara participating.
Expressing concern over SriLankan Airlines’ Korean flight delays that caused job losses to Lankan youths in Korea, Minister Nanayakkara said Korean employers were refusing to accept the workers due to their failure to be present within the given time period.
He said South Korea’s flag carrier, Korean Air, is expected to resume direct flights to Sri Lanka, and until then they hoped to make alternative arrangements.
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