SLFP trade unions condemn plans to allegedly sell SriLankan Airlines to Lycamobile

Representatives of the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya (SLNSS) at a media brefing in Colombo yesterday (April 4) condemned  plans by the government to allegedly sell Sri Lanka’s national carrier to Lycamobile which they claimed was ‘operating with LTTE funds’.

"A proposal is to be submitted before cabinet next week seeking approval to sell the national air carrier to Lycamobile which is a LTTE funded company," Chairman, Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya - Sri Lankan Airlines, Janaka Wijepathirana alleged during a news conference yesterday.

The trade union Chairman claimed that some senior officers of SriLankan Airlines have been recruited by Lycamobile which they allege is intending to buy the airline.

He pointed out that the air carrier has suffered staggering losses upto Rs 100 billion over the last four years alone - a sharp increase in comparison to the losses totalling upto Rs 85 billion from 2006 - 2014.

Mr. Wijepathirana observed that the national airline has fallen under the purview of eight ministers, four Chief Executive Officer (CEO)'s, and three Chairmans over the last four years.

On the same lines, he noted that SriLankan Airlines is bound to suffer losses due to these negligent administrative patterns.