Ports and Civil Aviation Deputy Minister Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku informed Parliament that six airlines, including SriLankan Airlines, have defaulted a total of Rs. 27.659 billion in embarkation levy payments owed to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Of this amount, SriLankan Airlines alone accounts for Rs. 24.655 billion in unpaid levies. The other defaulters and the amounts owed are:
- Air Asia Berhad – Rs. 88 million
- Aeroflot (Russia) – Rs. 508 million
- Air India – Rs. 57 million
- Thai Air Asia – Rs. 221 million
- Fitz Aviation – Rs. 2.126 billion
The Deputy Minister was responding to a question raised by SJB MP Kins Nelson, and stated that the CAA has already initiated steps to recover the arrears, including notifying the airlines via email and written communication.
He added that bank guarantees held by the CAA have been liquidated in some cases to recover portions of the outstanding funds. However, the current Civil Aviation Authority Act lacks legal provisions to pursue full recovery through legal means.
To address this gap, the Ministry plans to submit a Cabinet paper proposing necessary amendments to the Act, which would empower the CAA to initiate legal proceedings against defaulting airlines in the future.
