(COLOMBO) – Labour unrest promoted by trade unions and other recent issues may force Sri Lanka’s national airline to be grounded permanently, a senior Minister has warned.
Restructuring of the national carrier SriLankan Airlines is in tatters after Sunday’s ground handling debacle by striking staff, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva said.
He added that a deadline given to potential investors for submitting expressions to partner the national carrier ends on March 5. The information the Government has received is that all those who had expressed an interest are planning to withdraw after the recent flight delay after the airline’s ground staff resorted to an unannounced trade union action.
“We will have no option but to ground SriLankan airlines for good if such chaotic situations are allowed to continue,” the Minister said.
Apart from striking workers four SriLankan airline flights were delayed on Sunday – after rodents were found in two aircraft while two others had technical issues.
